As Chinese people all over the world celebrated the Lunar New Year, Renmin University’s Confucius Institutes overseas offered a host of cultural activities to ring in the Year of the Ram by organizing bustling Spring Festival fairs, “China Days”, lecture series on Chinese culture, and other events that allowed local residents to savor the rich textures of traditional Chinese New Year festivities. This year’s Spring Festival celebrations were observed not only by teachers and students at the Confucius Institutes, but also by local China enthusiasts, among others. The Irish President and his wife attended the Spring Festival gala organized by the University College Dublin Confucius Institute. On February 16^th, the University College Dublin Confucius Institute held its Spring Festival gala at Dublin’s National Concert Hall.The event was attended by Irish President Michael Higgins and his wife Sabina Coyne, along with the Chinese ambassador to Ireland Xu Jianguoand his wife Ni Li, as well as 1,200 visitors, who all came to celebrate the traditional Chinese holiday. Before the evening’s program commenced, Ambassador Xu and Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, participated in an inaugural ceremony for three new Confucius Classrooms in Ireland. The annual large-scale New Year’s gala has already become a noted cultural event of some reach, creating a platform for increased understanding and bringing Chinese culture closer to the people of Ireland. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe University’s Confucius Institute was also engaged inlively New Year’s celebrations. On the afternoon of February 14^th, overseas Chinese residing in Zimbabwe held their Spring Festival gathering in the capital of Harare, followed by a large-scale literature and art gala organized by the art division of the 2015 Overseas Spring Festival Chinese Cultural Commission. Ma Mingyuan, 2014 African “Chinese Bridge” champion and student at the Zimbabwe University Confucius Institute,hosted the event, dazzling the audience with his superb Chinese skills and commanding stage presence. On February 15^th, in Costa Rica’s capital San José，a Spring Festival Fair was held in the city’s“China street.”New Year’s posters, red lanterns, and festive red tablecloths decorated the display booths of Costa Rica University’s Confucius Institute. Visitors to the fair were treated to an experience oftraditional Chinese culture and the charm of the Lunar New Year’s festivities. On February 18^th, the last day of the year according to the lunar calendar, a New Year’s Spring Festival Fair was held in downtown Helsinki’s Crystal Palace Plaza. The Confucius Institute at the University of Helsinki was on full display at the fair with cultural exhibitions, including Chinese calligraphy and traditional dress. The event attracted a host of visitors from all around. On February 20^th, the Confucius Institute at the University of Helsinki held its Spring Festival party. The Chinese ambassador to Finland along with other diplomats and the University of Helsinki’s Vice-President Ulla Tuomarla, teachers and students of the Confucius Institute, and many local residentsjoined in the happy celebration.Apart from fun-filled and humorous entertainment, there were exquisite pipa performances, fine displays of Chinese martial arts, and calligraphy writing, winning the sincere appreciation and boisterous applause of the audience. There were also opportunities to learn about the art of making Chinese dumplings, guess riddles, and engage in other fun activities. On the first day of the Spring Festival week, teachers and students at the University of Michigan’s Confucius Institute along with other students on campus welcomed in the Year of the Ram by serving up an array of Chineseculinary delights, including spring rolls, fried dumplings and Yangzhou fried rice. There were also calligraphy writing and joint musical performances with Chinese traditional instruments. On February 21^st, the University of Michigan’s Confucius Institute held a concert, attracting nearly a thousand residents from Ann Arbor who enjoyed a dynamic offering of traditional Chinese folk music. The venue of the preceding press conference was deckedin Chinese festival style, with red lanterns, New Year’s scrolls, and other traditional decorations. On February 20^th, Bologna University’s Confucius Institute held its New Year’s festivities, attracting over a hundred local residents. With performances ranging from English allegro to martial arts displays, the event was met with great appreciation, leaving audience members keen to learn more about Chinese Spring Festival customs and taste some of the Chinese delicacies, including baozi, or steamed bread buns, and traditional spring rolls. Some even tried their hand at writing Chinese New Year’s blessings. On February 21^st, Geneva University’s Confucius Institute organized a “China Day” lecture series, which was enthusiastically received by local residents. Four consecutive lectures were held on the topics of Chinese script, history, culture, and economic development, sparking rife interest among audience members to gain a better understanding of China and the Chinese context. On February 22, Denmark’s Copenhagen Business Confucius Institute and the university overseas Chinese community organized a joint New Year’s celebration. There were Chinese riddles, as well as song, dance, and martial arts performances, all of which were met with boisterous applause. On February 22, Tel Aviv University’s Confucius Institute rang in the New Year by bringing gifts to four local middle schools. Students were presented with urgently needed Chinese learning materials in Hebrew. In addition, the Confucius Institutes at Columbia University, USA, and Leipzig University in Germany each held their own New Year’s literature and art festivals and other activities to ring in the Year of the Ram, attracting numerous local residents to share in the joy of celebrating the traditional Chinese holiday.