The Confucius Institute in Madrid brought Chinese culture closer to the general public on Saturday on the occasion of the Confucius Institute Day.

The Institute organized different activities that took place between 11:00 local time (1000GTM) and 19:00 local time (1800GTM) aimed at promoting Chinese culture and language among the inhabitants of Madrid.

Isabel Cervera, director of Confucius Institute in Madrid, told Xinhua that the number of students was increasing, highlighting that students not only learn language but also Chinese culture, ancient and modern.

"Step by step, Madrid inhabitants are not only getting closer to the teaching and learning of Chinese language ... but also learning about the ancient and traditional culture and the contemporary culture, which is especially interesting for the youngest," she said.

People from different ages took part in the celebration on Saturday, such as Lucia, who is 10 years old and is learning Chinese. "I am doing Chinese classes and my teacher told me there is a party so I come every year," she told Xinhua while painting a mask.

The Institute organized workshops of Chinese calligraphy and Chinese cuisine, Chinese tapas tasting, games for children, competitions, manual arts, reading, theatre and so on.

Those attending the event could also enjoy music and dancing by the choir and dancing group from the University of SISU (Shanghai International Studies University), among other activities in relation with Chinese language and culture.

The Confucius Institute in Madrid held this event twice, after in 2014 the headquarters Hanban in Beijing held for the first time the anniversary of the Confucius Institute.

Since then, the Confucius Institute Day was established to bring Chinese culture and language closer to the public.

The Confucius Institute in Madrid has been working for 10 years in Madrid to promote Chinese language and culture among the Spanish society. It was born in 2005 as a result of an agreement among Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Casa Asia and the Institute headquarters.