Students from the United States display artifacts they made at an open day event held by the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles on Saturday. During the event, they were able to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture through a series of activities. [RENA LI/CHINA DAILY]
Ahead of their trip to China next month, students from the United States will have the chance to experience Chinese culture at the Chinese Consulate General’s open day event, from trying out calligraphy to making dumplings to Peking Opera makeup and learning about the Year of the Dragon. I got it. Saturday in Los Angeles.
They are part of 50,000 young people from the United States who will participate in exchange programs in China over the next five years.
Approximately 150 students from Vaughn Next Century Learning Center (VNCLC) and International Studies Learning Center (ISLC) participated in the “Perceiving China” event held at the Consulate General.
VNCLC High School senior Michael Sosa expressed his passion for the art when he introduced his calligraphy piece of the kanji “dragon” to the audience, and said he wanted to pursue it further.
“I’ve always loved this writing style. It’s really an art form and it’s incredibly beautiful,” Sosa told China Daily. “These experiences have refined me as a person. It’s really exciting to share that with others so more people can.” Discover these beautiful cultural experiences and traditions can do. ”
Sosa is one of 20 students who will travel to China next month as part of VNCLC’s international student exchange program.
“I’m very excited about this upcoming trip,” Sosa said. She said, “Not much is known about the American school system, so I look forward to learning more about this important experience.”
VNCLC President Steve Holle said the school has had a long-standing partnership with China. Before the pandemic, the school regularly placed students with Chinese families to attend local schools, while also hosting Chinese students at Bourne and arranging for them to live with American families.
On the exchange trip between VNCLC and its sister school in China, the U.S. students will visit Beijing for five days, spend three days in Shanghai, and then return home on March 22.
“This is the first trip we have launched for an exchange program after the pandemic, and we look forward to hosting Chinese children once they return to the United States,” Holle said.
Mutual understanding
He said he believes international exchange can broaden students’ horizons and promote mutual understanding between the United States and China.
“American students can learn a lot about Chinese history, art, everything,” he said. “This is a teaching method that we are learning from both China and the United States.”
Yvonne Chan, founding director of VNCLC, said that from 2012 until before the pandemic, groups of Chinese students from Wuhan, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing visited the center for cultural exchange and to experience schooling in the United States. Told. They were warmly welcomed by their American colleagues.
“As an international public school ourselves, we are confident that this exchange will be fruitful. We are really looking forward to welcoming our Chinese students here in August. “Through this process, we aim to learn from each other, bridge the American Dream and the Chinese Dream, and create the best school with a global vision,” she said.
Guo Shaochun, Consul General of China in Los Angeles, encouraged the students to ride high-speed trains, taste Chinese food, immerse themselves in Chinese culture, and make friends with young Chinese people.
“I encourage you to listen to China with your own ears, observe China with your own eyes, and measure China with your own footprints,” Guo said. “When you come back, please share the story of China with your friends.”
The consul general’s wife, Wang Wei, introduced Chinese New Year customs and facts about the Year of the Dragon to the mini class.
On open day, students were amazed by the richness of Chinese culture.
VNCLC student Samantha Chan shared how wonderful and important it is to recognize the differences between people from different countries.
“Learning about new cultures and diversifying perspectives is so exciting. I hope to learn a lot about the food, the culture, the way people behave, and how it’s different from here in America,” she told China Daily. Told. “I would love to share my experiences when I went to China and when I come back.”
ISLC President Marcos Hernandez emphasized the importance of American students acquiring knowledge of Chinese culture.
In 2012, when Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden were vice presidents of their respective countries, they visited ISLC and had warm discussions with students and teachers. ISLC students performed a dragon dance for the two leaders and presented them with T-shirts with the message “Promoting U.S.-China Friendship.”
Mr. Hernandez said, “This visit was an important memory that symbolizes the friendship between our two countries.”