BEIJING: A group of French secondary school students recently embarked on a cultural exchange journey in Changsha, Hunan province, for a cultural exchange program that blended traditional Chinese arts, industrial innovation and rural revitalization experiences.
China’s Center for Language Education and Cooperation and France’s Chinese Learning and Testing Center co-organized the trip for 20 participants, students and teachers, to immerse themselves in hands-on cultural activities and historical exploration.
At Changsha County No 1 Middle School, the students learned Chinese calligraphy by writing the Chinese character fu, which means good fortune. The students described the character as a heartfelt gift for enduring Sino-French friendship. In a Tai Chi session, they joined Chinese peers to practice the 24-form routine, mimicking the flowing movements with focused expressions.
Visits to Broad Group and Sany Heavy Industry’s smart factory allowed them to witness advanced manufacturing technologies firsthand, with students exclaiming “Amazing!” and “Fascinating!” during the tours.
The delegation explored bamboo weaving in Qingshanpu town, where 17-year-old Carolin Pius Josephs crafted a bamboo wind chime. “It’s incredible to create these traditional crafts myself rather than just seeing them in museums,” she said, expressing her determination to continue Chinese language studies after passing HSK Level 1.
A visit to the former residence of Li Weihan, a key figure in China’s early communist movement who studied in Montargis during the 1919 Work-Study Program, highlighted historical bilateral ties.
Eighteen-year-old Pensart Romain observed parallels between exhibits in Changsha and Montargis’ historical sites. Romain said: “Our shared history bridges the distance. It’s a legacy we should cherish.”
The cultural immersion extended to tea culture at a local tea plantation, where students picked tea leaves and observed traditional processing techniques.
Last year, representatives of Changsha county and Montargis planted an osmanthus tree at Songya Lake, commemorating the establishment of the sister-city relationship between the two sides. Earlier this year, secondary school students from Changsha county visited Montargis to promote cultural and education exchanges. Jean-Baptiste Isabelle, a teacher, said she has gained a deeper understanding of the province.
“Hunan is beautiful, and Changsha county is beautiful! I know that 100 years ago, there were already strong connections between us and Changsha. I’m thrilled to see this history continue today, and I believe it will endure forever,” she said.
The ongoing bilateral exchanges, where Chinese students can study in France, and French students live with Chinese families, are a rare and precious opportunity for us to better understand Chinese culture, she said.
Sixteen-year-old Julien Sabel, visiting China for the first time, began learning Chinese six years ago out of a deep interest in Chinese culture, and has diligently studied the language.
“I’ve always been fascinated by Chinese culture. To me, China was a distant country with a completely different language. I believe mastering Chinese will open doors for me to study, work and communicate here more smoothly,” he said.
“In February this year, I hosted students from Changsha in France. I felt it was only natural for me to come here in return. In the future, I’ll strive for more opportunities to visit China, as there’s so much left for me to discover.” –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
