On April 21, the Welcome Reception for the 2025 GD&U Tour—Guangdong Cultural Spring Camp for Hungarian Youths was held in Guangzhou, hosted by Guangdong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.
The occasion brought together 31 students and teachers from the Hungary-China Bilingual Primary School and their Chinese counterparts for a vibrant cultural dialogue. The event featured music, martial arts, and traditional craftsmanship to celebrate China-Hungarian friendship in anticipation of the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations in 2025.
Hungarian students sing a song in Mandarin Chinese. (Photo: Guo Hongda)
The Hungarian students performed a Mandarin chorus of "Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day" and delivered a bilingual recitation of the Hungarian poem "In My Homeland," highlighting cross-cultural synergy. Traditional Chinese arts took center stage with a vertical flute solo, "Lone Smoke over the Desert," and a zither rendition of "Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake." Following that, students from both sides engaged in Cantonese pastry making, an intangible cultural heritage.
"Guangdong is one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road. For over 2,000 years, it has witnessed the convergence and exchanges of Eastern and Western civilizations." said Qiu Huilin, Vice President of Guangdong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, who stressed the importance of having active cultural exchanges between China and Hungary through the camp.
"This May, a China-Hungarian music exchange event will be staged in Budapest, with the Guangdong Musician Association working in partnership with the Budapest Film Orchestra," she added. She invites all teachers and students of the Hungarian-Chinese Bilingual School to attend the event with their families and enjoy Chinese cultural stories brought to life through symphonic music.
For five consecutive days, Kung Fu classes left a lasting impression on these young Hungarians. "We don't have such classes in Hungary. Learning Kung Fu not only builds physical strength but also deepens our understanding of Chinese culture," said Ádám Krakomperger, a camp participant.
His peer, Denissza Inges, added that singing in Mandarin and witnessing Chinese students recite Hungarian poetry made the cultures feel "much closer."
Young Hungarian teens gave Kung Fu performance (Photo: Guo Hongda)
Jason Huang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangdong Musician Association, highlighted the ongoing collaborations between Guangdong and Hungary. "Since 2018, we've recorded over 200 live sessions with Hungarian musicians, ranging from film scores to musicals."
He and his team held a concert at Budapest's Franz Liszt Academy of Music last November, which was a tremendous success. This success prompted his team to plan an encore performance in May 2025, featuring music legends from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music.
The exchange also inspired a broader vision among these young aspiring teens. Inges expressed her wish to study economics at Peking or Tsinghua University, while Krakomperger aims to become a translator and work in China.
The event was attended by representatives from the Consulate General of Hungary in Guangzhou, leaders of the Guangdong Wushu Association, and the Guangdong Musician Association, along with others committed to fostering China-Hungarian friendship.
Reporter | Guo Zedong
Video & Photo | Guo Hongda
Editor | Yuan Zixiang, James, Shen He
