A Confucius Classroom has been officially opened at the Suankularb Wittayalai School in Thailand. This is the third Confucius Classroom in the country.

There was a distinctly Chinese atmosphere at the 120-year-old campus on Tuesday morning, during the opening ceremony for the Confucius Classroom.

"Suankularb Wittayalai" means "Rose Garden" in Thai, as the original school was located in a rose garden in the Grand Palace. It is one of the oldest and most famous secondary schools in Thailand, and is known as the "Cradle of Elite".

The Minister Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok praised the Thai people's enthusiasm for the study of Chinese. He said the establishment of a Confucius Course in the Rose Garden School will help promote Chinese language and culture among young people in Thailand.

The Confucius Classroom is set to offer modern facilities and lessons taught by experienced teachers. And it will also feature contests and examinations relating to Chinese culture.

(CCTV.com March 19, 2009)