YINCHUAN: As night fell on July 29, a blazing bonfire rose in the desert of Zhongwei City, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Accompanied by cheerful music, young people from different countries danced together under the starry sky, reveling in the joy of friendship night.
“It’s so funny. I cannot dance, but I still had a good time,” Park Chan Ho, who is from the Republic of Korea (ROK), said after being pulled into the center of the crowd.
That night, teenagers from the ROK also performed an entertaining group dance named “Baby Shark,” receiving warm applause from their audience.
Friendship night took place as part of the 2024 Ningxia International Youth Friendship Camp. The camp was held from July 26 to 31, inviting 34 youth representatives from 12 countries, including the ROK, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, as well as 13 from China’s Ningxia. Participants experienced traditional Chinese culture, explored ecological protection work, and learned about the development of specialized industries in the region.
“Look at mine!” Semjaan Batkhishig, who is from Mongolia, said excitedly as she showed her creation to her friends. She had just carved a rabbit on a Helan stone, a type of stone from Ningxia’s Helan Mountains that is particularly easy to carve.
At Yinchuan’s intangible cultural heritage exhibition center, youths from various countries had the opportunity to experience traditional Chinese arts such as Helan stone carving, sand art and paper cutting. And when they left the camp, they were able to take the artworks they created home with them as souvenirs.
Batkhishig enjoyed every moment she spent with her peers, she said. “It’s the first time for me to come to China. I think the environment is beautiful, the air is fresh and people are friendly, and I hope to come to China next year.”
Lyu speaks fluent English and often played interpreter at the camp, which won her many new international friends. But she doesn’t think language is necessary to communicate, she said, as people can understand one another easily through gestures, photos and other universal forms of communication. –Agencies
