To showcase the rich Chinese culture and to help sense the beauty of Mandarin to the students at Durban Kearsney College, DUT’s Confucius Institute worked closely with the College to successfully co-host a ‘Chinese Culture Gala’ at the school recently.
There were more than 100 participants at the gala, including lecturers, students and parents, who took part in the cultural evening consisting of a cultural performance and culture segment.
The gala had a piano solo Wo Ai Ni Zhong Guo (I love you China), performed by Regan Shen, a distinguished Mandarin learner at Kearsney, followed by traditional Chinese programmes like the Chinese musical instrument Hulusi solo, Chinese folk dance and the Chinese Kongfu show from the DUT Confucius Institute. The unique cultural elements enlightened the auditorium and aroused the interest of the audience, who commented later on that it was a real treat to be engaged in a totally different, oriental culture.
Most impressively, the highlight of the gala were a debut chorus Hey girls, look this way and a soundtrack recitation of the poem Xiang Chou (Homesickness) by the famous Chinese poet Yu Guangzhong, which were all presented by talented Mandarin students from Kearsney College. Their fluent Mandarin and smart singing techniques won rounds of applause and cheers from their peers and parents.
Chinese Calligraphy writing, Chinese traditional ink painting, Chinese knot making and Chinese martial arts performances dominated in the second section of the gala. Different stations of Chinese cultural experiences were flooded with curious and eager youngsters from this well-known South African high school, which is also a teaching site of the DUT Confucius Institute.
“Mandarin has been incorporated into South Africa’s basic educational system by the DBE since March 2015, and since the beginning of 2016, more and more secondary schools in South Africa have offered courses on Chinese language and culture, thus opening a new window for the country’s young generation to be exposed to a global language and an ancient civilization, and further to meet the increasing needs for the people-to-people communication and engagement between South Africa and China, both being members of the BRICS family,” said Dr Eddie C FU.
Dr Eddie C FU. Pictured: Kearney College pupils with Dr Fu, enjoying the cultural gala.
Pictured: Kearney College pupils with Dr Fu, enjoying the cultural gala.
Copy: Dr Chaobo Eddie Fu
