Rain brings up the growth of hundreds of grains. The 13th UN Chinese Language Day was set for April 20 as this is the date around which Grain Rain, one of the 24 Solar Terms in the traditional Chinese calendar. The Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education (CLEC) and Chinese Plus launched the International Chinese Language Day themed “Together for a Bright Future” and sincerely welcomed friends from all over the world to celebrate this special day.

Chinese International Education College/Overseas Education College of Xiamen University, together with 14 overseas co-established Confucius Institutes in five continents jointly performed a “symphony” to celebrate. With Chinese as a bridge, we launch various online/offline activities and push forward the implementation of all kinds of innovation projects, building a platform for Chinese learners and lovers to experience and know more about Chinese language and culture.

New Partners, New Platforms, New Achievements

Xiamen University has held virtual meetings with the Nice Municipal Government of France, Delaware State University in the United States and other related institutions to actively discuss language education and cooperation projects.

On April 20, Xiamen University holding a virtual meeting with the Nice Municipal Government of France and the Université Côte d’Azur in France to discuss the cooperation between two universities in fields of language, art and culture.

With the support and guidance of the CLEC, Xiamen University held an expert consultation and demonstration meeting on applying for the establishment of the “Southern Base of International Chinese Language Education Practice and Research” on April 11, in which many well-known experts and scholars inside and outside the university were invited to fully demonstrate the foundation, orientation, and development vision of the Base, pooling the wisdom and strength of all parties to lay a foundation for the future development of the Base and better serve the international communication of the Chinese culture.

Chinese International Education College/Overseas Education College of Xiamen University (hereinafter referred to as the “College”) independently compiled the country-specific textbook Duxing Chinese (volumes 1-4), which is tailored for Confucius Institute Chinese courses, and developed a quality-support system for online teaching. This textbook is developed with 3 advantages manifested: 1) combining classroom teaching with after-class training; 2) focusing on presenting China’s development achievements, path, model and country-oriented Chinese language teaching.

New Projects, New Brands, New Cooperation

In a bid to promote the international introduction of Chinese culture, interpret the fine cultural connotation, highlight the charm of the Chinese language and culture and improve the Chinese language application ability and language and culture literacy of the international students of Xiamen University, the College is going to hold the “Hui Shi Zhong Guo (Discovering China)” Chinese Language Application Competition for International Students, aiming at encouraging international students to discover Chinese elements in their lives and turn them into “micro stories” with vivid feelings,whice can be presented through short videos, speeches and photos.

To further facilitate the Chinese international language education and people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries, tell China’s and Fujian’s stories well and present the face of today’s China and authentic local culture, customs and status-quo of Fujian to overseas Chinese language learners, the College has organized a series of online group projects such as the learning camps of the Nanqiang Maritime Silkroad “Chinese Bridge” by focusing on the connotation of Fujian culture. Two learning camps have been successfully held recently, and efforts will continue to be made in the future to carry out the online camps of the Nanqiang Maritime Silkroad “Chinese Bridge”.

International students taking the students of the camp to have an online tour in Xiamen University (left). The video course Seal Carving Art selected as the excellent course of the CLEC and translated into many languages for international promotion (right).

The College and Xiamen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (Xiamen Hospital of TCM), based on relevant projects of the CLEC, plan to establish a teaching team of Chinese language and TCM experts to provide BRICS countries and countries along the Belt and Road with “Chinese + TCM Skills” courses, including TCM diagnosis and treatment, TCM terminology, TCM four diagnostic methods, health preservation, TCM processing, etc.

Messages and Wishes on the International Chinese Language Day

The “International Chinese Language Day” series jointly organized by Xiamen University and overseas co-established Confucius Institutes has kicked off. Chinese embassies abroad, cooperative institutions, teaching sites of overseas Confucius Institutes and student representatives all sent messages to express their love for the Chinese language and support for Chinese international language education.

Mr. Yu Changxue, Minister Counselor of the Education Office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Canada

The principal assistant of Kylemore Middle School, a teaching site affiliated to the Confucius Institute at Stellenbosch University in South Africa

Students of the Confucius Classroom affiliated to the Confucius Institute at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand

Chanting and reciting Chinese poems and classics, and writing calligraphy accompanied by the aroma of ink, students at Confucius Institutes actively participated in various activities on the International Chinese Language Day, experiencing the Chinese language in this beautiful spring.

Recite Chinese Classics

Students from the Confucius Institute at University of Wroclaw in Poland reciting “Cooing and Wooing”, one of the songs in the Books of Songs, and other Chinese classic poems.

Students from the Confucius Institute at Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand reciting “The Mid-autumn Festival Tune: ‘Prelude to Water Melody’”.

Students from the Confucius Institute at Saint Mary’s University in Canada reciting Zhu Ziqing’s prose “Spring” for the audience.

Play Chinese Music

Students from the Confucius Institute at University of Wroclaw in Poland playing the classic Chinese music “The Butterfly Lovers”.

Students from the Confucius Institute at Saint Mary’s University in Canada playing Chinese folk music.

Experience Chinese Culture

Cultural experience activities, including acupuncture, tea ceremony and Chinese calligraphy, held by the Confucius Institute at Saint Mary’s University in Canada.

Students from the Confucius Classroom affiliated to the Confucius Institute at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand experiencing Chinese dragon dance.

The Confucius Institute at Trier University in Germany co-hosting the lecture “China Quyi Art: Past and Present” by inviting Mr. Jiang Kun from China and Mr. Herr Niklas Donath from Germany to talk about the past and present of Chinese quyi art.

Attend Chinese Courses and Lectures

The Confucius Institute at University of Southampton in the UK and the Confucius Institute at the University of the Philippines organizing workshops, such as “GCSE/A-LEVEL Mandarin Exams in the UK: Assigning Standards, Curriculum and Teaching Pedagogies” and “Chinese Characters”.

The Confucius Institute at Cardiff University in the UK, based on the theme of “Chinese Language Day · World Trend”, holding a series of activities including Chinese Corner culture lectures themed “Education Today in China”. In addition, volunteer Chinese language teachers of the Confucius Institute actively assisting the teaching of the Chinese language degree courses in the Chinese Department of the School of Modern Languages of Cardiff University.

Share Stories in China

Members of the TCM Acupuncture Group from the Confucius Institute at Saint Mary’s University in Canada sharing their stories during their stay in China.

Show Chinese Proficiency

Matej Porubovic, a student from the Confucius Institute at the University of Southampton in the UK, participating in the Chinese Competition of Charitable Projects & Business Innovations for UK University Students, and winning the first prize with his excellent Chinese proficiency in the competition by delivering a speech with the title of “Drinking water, Thinking of the Source: A Combined Manner”.

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In 2010, the UN Department of Public Information (now the UN Department of Global Communications) announced the launch of the UN Language Days. Language Days at the United Nations seek to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) throughout the Organization. The date for the UN Chinese Language Day was on the same day with Grain Rain, one of the 24 Solar Terms in the traditional Chinese calendar, to pay tribute to Cangjie, a legendary figure traditionally held to be the inventor of Chinese characters.

Since 2020, by taking the opportunity of the UN Chinese Language Day, the CLEC has taken joint hands with Chinese Plus to initiate the International Chinese Language Day, extending it from an activity in the United Nations into a shared day for the world Chinese language community.

By the end of 2021, more than 180 countries initiated Chinese language programs and 76 countries have included learning Chinese as part of their national education systems. More than 4,000 universities have established Chinese-related departments and majors, and over 75,000 primary and secondary schools, Chinese schools and training institutions offer Chinese courses. And currently, more than 25 million people overseas are learning Chinese, while the cumulative number of people who have studied Chinese is close to 200 million.

On April 21, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mr. Wang Wenbin introduced “Chinese International Education” and “International Chinese Language Day” on the regular press conference. And in the video clip played on the press conference, Ashley Brown, a Ph. D. student of China Studies Program of Xiamen University said, “Learning a language is a way to learn about the world. The more we know each other’s languages and cultures, the more united we will be, and as a result this world will become a better place”.

(Contributed by Chinese International Education College/Overseas Education College of Xiamen University, Overseas Co-established Confucius Institutes)