Source: School of Chinese as a Second Language
Written by: Xing Binyu
Photo by: Pan Yanying
Translated by: Kang Jie
Edited by: Wang Dongmei
In the evening on April 4, a salon on making Chinese seals was held in School of Chinese as a Second Language (SCSL), Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU). Aimed at introducing traditional Chinese seals and unveiling the mystery of “impressions”, this salon attracted more than 80 international students from nearly 20 countries.
The seals made by international students
The scene of the salon was full of elements of Chinese seals. The walls and tables were decorated with pictures of ancient Chinese characters. A video was played to introduce the development and practical value of Chinese seals. According to the introduction, similar to Chinese calligraphy, painting and poetry, Chinese seals are recognized as one of the four Chinese traditional arts. The earliest Chinese seal is called “Yin Xi”, which means “trust” in ancient China.
The vivid video, classical pictures and mysterious ancient Chinese characters stimulated the international students’ interest in exploring Chinese seals. The host patiently introduced the techniques, the dos and don'ts of carving seals, and then delivered the tools such as the carving knive, stone, inkpad, Xuan paper, abrasive paper and permanent marker. This was basically the first time for international students to get to know Chinese seals. They carved the most meaningful characters on the stones. Some carved their names or their countries’ names, and some carved “中大 (Sun Yat-sen University)” or “國(guó)際漢語 (Chinese as a Second Language)”. Finally, they stamped their seals on their SYSU T-shirts, creating a unique impression of SYSU.
The Chinese Salon is a cultural experience activity held by SCSL aimed at deepening international students’ understanding of Chinese language and culture. Organized mainly by postgraduate students in Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL), the salon is greatly welcomed by international students for its distinct themes, various forms and emphasis on experience and interaction. The salon has been held 91 times since 2007 with more than 5,000 participations by international students.
