In order to promote youth communications between Guangdong Province and international friendly cities, 2018 Guangdong International Youth Exchanges Week in Foshan was held from July 26th to August 1st. The activity was hosted by Guangdong People’s Association for Friendship with Forieign countries and Foshan People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign countries. Over 100 teachers and students from the friendly provinces and states of the United States, Canada, Germany, the Czech Republic, Australia and Japan and the Affiliated Tianhe School of Guangdong Experimental Middle School were invited to participate in.
During the event, they visited many cities in Guangdong Province, enhancing the friendship between Chinese and foreign youths through thematic activities and interactive exchanges involving technology, culture, art and sports. On July 29th and July 30th, Chinese and foreign teachers and students participating in the exchanges week activities arrived in Foshan to carry out a friendship journey on "cultural heritage" and "greenness".
Yue Xiaojing, Vice Chairman of Foshan People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, was addressing.
At noon on July 29th, Foshan People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries conducted a welcome luncheon for Chinese and foreign teachers and students. Yue Xiaojing wished them a happy and successful trip in Foshan. She also expressed her hope that they could share what they learned in Foshan back to their countries so that more families and friends can know Guangdong and Foshan.
Naomi, a student representative from Wolfsburg, Germany spoke on the stage.
“In the following journey, we will meet new friends, contact old friends, advance international relationship in various cities and refresh our stereotypes of others and culture.” Naomi, a student representative from Wolfsburg, Germany, said that she was very interested in Chinese traditional culture and looked forward to the trip.
Wang Xue’er, a student from Shimen Middle School served as an interpreter on the stage.
Intended to enhance the effectiveness of friendly youth exchanges, Foshan People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign countries invited 11 students from Shimen Middle School, Nanhai District to serve as foreign affairs reporters and little interpreters and accompany foreign teachers and students to visit Ancient Nanfeng Kiln.
It is worth mentioning that Wang Xue’er, a student of Shimen Middle School serving as an interpreter at the welcome luncheon, won unanimous praise from Foreign Affairs Office, People’s Government of Guangdong Province and the foreign side. They believed that Foshan students were of high quality and gave their thumbs up.
During the two days, Chinese and foreign teachers and students have experienced Foshan closely and spent a unique summer here. When they meet Foshan’s “culture” and “greenness”, what spark will it collide with?
Nanfeng Ancient Kiln
Exploring the ancient charm of Lingnan culture
Chinese and foreign teachers and students took pictures at Nanfeng Ancient Kiln.
As the most famous kiln in Foshan Shiwan, the kiln fire of Ancient Nanfeng Kiln has keep burning for over five hundred years. Traveling to the first stop in Foshan, the teachers and students seemed to go back to Foshan hundreds of years ago!
Walking through the Qingshi Lane in the Nanfeng Ancient Kiln, Chinese and foreign youths experienced ceramic culture.
Enjoy the Ancient Nanfeng Kiln and seek for the millenarian ceramic culture. Isn’t it a great sense of traversing when you looking at these teenagers with different skin colors, speaking diverse languages, walking through the millenarian ancient kiln?
Let’s take a selfie and commemorate this friendship trip~
"During this trip, I have gained a new understanding of Foshan culture and made friends from different countries, and I look forward to seeing each other again in China in the future." Wandering on the blue-stone board, Naomi also played selfies with her Chinese friends. Through this trip, Naomi not only refreshed the impression of Foshan, but also gained friendship.
Intangible cultural heritage culture
Experience the inheritance of Foshan craftsman
Rao Baolian, a master of Foshan paper-cut, was showing the art of paper-cut at the scene, which was very pleasing to the eye.
A pair of scissors, a piece of red paper, scraps of paper flying in the room, and a vivid work coming into sight...After watching Foshan paper-cut master Rao Baolian’s performance, the freshness and curiosity of teachers and students were instantly ignited.
They were doing paper-cut, let’s raise a thumb for their carefulness!
show time！
Show time for the works!
Picking up scissors, folding paper, cutting patterns...Chinese and foreign teachers and students experienced Foshan paper-cut art.
Rubbing mud, scratching mud, forming the model...In the pottery center, both Chinese and foreign teachers and students watched intently as the teacher taught pottery techniques.
Chinese and foreign teachers and students made pottery together and the made-up works looked good.
"Through this pottery art, I have a deeper understanding of Chinese culture." Choya Brown from Brisbane, Australia said she felt a deeper understanding about pottery culture and traditional Chinese culture as she played and made pottery.
Ancestral Temple
Listening to the folklore of Foshan
Chinese and foreign youths are visiting the Ancestral Temple.
Located in the bustling downtown, Foshan Ancestral Temple is full of antique charm with red wall and green tiles and it has kept flourishing incense for several hundreds of years. Wandering in every corner of the Ancestral Temple, teachers and students watched the traditional Lingnan architecture while listening to the folk stories of Foshan.
Chinese and foreign youths took a photo in front of the Ancestral Temple.
"Foshan is a city combined with tradition and modernization, and it has a unique city charm," Hirata Kotoko from Japan said. Through this trip, she further deepened the understanding of Foshan’s traditional culture.
Martial art in Foshan
Experience Foshan Kung-fu in every motion
Lion dance and martial arts were performed in Wong Fei-hung Martial Arts Hall.
The lion walked unhurriedly in a pile-array about 3 meters high, moved freely, jumped up and down; five-step fist, juvenile fist, and south fist took turns to perform on the stage. In the afternoon of July 29, a feast of Foshan Kung-fu was staged at Wong Fei-hung Martial Arts Hall.
Wonderful martial arts and lion dance made teachers and students so exciting that they took out mobile phones to take photos!
Chinese and foreign teachers and students set up lion heads to perform lion dance, which looked cool!
After the lion dance, teachers and students learned Foshan lion dance and Kung-fu from Foshan martial arts masters.
Chinese and foreign teenagers learned Foshan Kung-Fu from their masters.
" I saw the most authentic lion dance martial arts show here." Choya Brown said she saw team collaboration and touched the lion's costume while learning dance lions, and she could feel the profound Chinese culture.
Xiqiao Mountain
Enjoy a fresh breath
Chinese and foreign teachers and students made concerted efforts and went through every block together.
In the morning of July 30, Chinese and foreign teachers and students also carried out a unique green outdoor activity on Xiqiao Mountain, which included writing Chinese characters, imitating Kung-fu style and etc. A series of games not only made Chinese and foreign teenagers work as a team, but also deepened their understanding of Chinese culture.
“On the way, villagers greeted us warmly.” Walking among green mountains and rivers, Choya Brown saw natural ancient villages on the Xiqiao Mountain and passionate local villagers. She thought that openness, tolerance and friendliness are the biggest characteristics of this city.
Chinese and foreign teachers and students took photos on Xiqiao Mountain.
Opening the window, you can see blue sky and white cloud; walking on Xiqiao Mountain, you can see environmental slogans everywhere; moving forwards, you can see the warm smiles on Foshan people’s faces......After the activity, foreign teachers and students described their “Foshan impression” in such ways.
Interview
“Foshan impression” of foreign youths
Our journalist and teenage journalists from Shimen Middle School had interviews with foreign friends. They thought that Foshan is wonderful! Let’s have a look at the interview↓↓↓
Q: Could you talk about your impression for Foshan?
A: Besides modern high buildings and large mansions, I didn’t expect Foshan to preserve traditional Lingnan buildings and 500-year-old Nanfeng Ancient Kiln in the city center. This makes me feel that Foshan is a city integrated with tradition and modernization.
Q: Has this tour of Foshan changed your impression for China?
A: Knowing more about Foshan Kung-fu, I now know that Foshan is the hometown of Kung-fu superstar Bruce Lee. Thus, I realize that we have to understand China in a more open view. China is not only a world factory, but also a country with long history; not only an old country, but also a beautiful country combining tradition and modernization.
Q: What is your favorite part during this Foshan tour?
A: I like the journey on Xiqiao Mountain the most. Through additional activities, I learned team collaboration, experienced green ecological environment and felt that Foshan was a city where nature and people integrated harmoniously.
Q: Are you satisfied with the two-day journey?
A: Very satisfied. I appreciated the careful arrangement of the activity sponsor. During the two-day journey, I met a lot of passionate and friendly Foshan people, which made me feel the tolerance and friendliness of this city.
Q: How will you introduce Foshan to your friends when you go back to your country?
A: I am going to write down this journey on diary and stick collected receipts and photos on it. When I read the diary, I can review this wonderful journey. I also want to introduce Foshan to my family and friends to let them know Foshan is beautiful and China is a big country!
This summer, Chinese and foreign youths sow the seed of friendship in Foshan. "Looking forward to meeting again"is their best promise. What’s the story in the future?
Let’s wait and see!
(Foshan China)
