Source: School of Chinese as a Second Language
Written by: Wu Xinyue, Li Chaochao
Translated by: Zhongshan Youzhi
Edited by: Wang Dongmei
Recently the School of Chinese as a Second Language organized a trip for more than 130 international students who are learning Chinese language at SYSU. They are from over twenty countries including the USA, France, Russia, Thailand, etc. This trip aimed to help the students gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and motivate them to learn Chinese language.
The destination of this two day educational excursion was Chaozhou, a famous historical and cultural city of China. The itinerary included the visit to the old town, a retirement home and a ceramics workshop.
Crafting a traditional pot
At the old town in Chaozhou, the students embarked on a night cruise of Chaozhou’s famous river — Hanjiang River. Here they saw Guangji Bridge, one of China’s four great ancient bridges. They also wandered down the alleys and passed memorial gateways. In one alley workshop, Andali from Madagascar tried her hand at crafting a traditional pot. “This is very difficult!” She laughed, “But it’s very fun. The Chinese are very clever!” At the head of another alley, a group of students strolled though Kaiyuan Temple, a Zen temple built in the Tang Dynasty. Even though many of the students have a limited command of Chinese, the simple charm of Chaozhou left them a deep impression.
Presenting a gift
At Chaozhou Retirement Home, the students presented gifts to the elderly and chatted with them in Chinese. Some of the students with roots in Chaoshan region were even able to speak with the elderly in Chaozhou dialect. One old man named Xu Daisheng, who is ninety this year, still remembered Japanese that he had learned as a young man. With a quivering voice he sang a Japanese ballad with two Japanese students, Ikegawa Keiji and Horiguchi Jun. This performance touched the hearts of everyone.
Visiting a ceramics workshop
The students also visited the workshop of Xingye Ceramics Co., Ltd. to get a look at the manufacturing process. Chaozhou is also known in China as the “Hometown of Ceramics” and the ceramic industry is one of the four major industries of Chaozhou. The students were filled with admiration after witnessing the remarkable creations that emerged from this workshop. Every piece of pottery became more beautiful with each stage of production. In the final stage exquisite details were applied by the hands of expert craftsman.
This excursion was a chance for students from all parts of the world to get a first-hand experience of the unique culture of east Guangdong. For some students it was also a journey of discovery of family roots. Yang Shuyuan, an Indonesian student in Beginner 2B Class, said that when his grandfather heard he was going to Chaozhou, grandpa told him to find the street where grandpa was born and lived as a boy.
All students enjoyed these activities and their enthusiastic participation even attracted the attention of the local media. The website of Xiangqiao District in Chaozhou published an article on the trip, titled “Sun Yat-sen University International Students Experience Life in Our City”.
