On 19 January, the Barton Peveril Sixth Form College teaching centre of the University of Southampton Confucius Institute hosted a Year of the Horse cultural activity featuring Chinese calligraphy and Hanfu. The classroom was decorated with red “Fu” characters and festive Spring Festival couplets, creating a lively New Year atmosphere. During the calligraphy session, Confucius Institute teachers introduced basic brush techniques and the cultural meaning of auspicious characters and Horse Year blessings. Students practised writing “Fu” and traditional New Year phrases on red paper and enthusiastically shared their first calligraphy works. The event concluded with a Hanfu experience, where students learned about traditional Chinese clothing and tried on elegant garments from different historical styles. Holding their calligraphy pieces, participants took group photos and expressed great interest in future Chinese cultural activities. The event offered students an engaging intro duction to Chinese New Year traditions through hands-on cultural experience.