The event held in Suzhou Dushu Lake Sci-Edu Innovation District in SIP on Apr 19 to mark the International Chinese Language Day attracted about 300 Chinese and foreign students from universities and colleges in the district.
The event was sponsored by Dushu Lake Alliance for Development of Higher Education Institutions, the Communist Youth League Working Committee of Suzhou Dushu Lake Sci-Edu Innovation District, and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
The International Chinese Language Day was initiated by the United Nations to celebrate Chinese as one of the six official languages of the UN and commemorate Cangjie, who is credited with inventing Chinese characters thousands of years ago. It is observed annually on Grain Rain which, the sixth of the 24 Chinese Solar Terms, falls around Apr 20.
The event included the award ceremony of the “Poetic Jiangnan” Classics Recitation Competition that attracted about 100 Chinese and foreign students from Mar 25 to Apr 10.
A number of inheritors of intangible cultural heritage such as techniques of making Suzhou-style lanterns, k’o-ssu and cut blocks for printing demonstrated their handicrafts on site.
The participants gained a good knowledge of traditional Chinese culture such as Chinese tea ceremony, painting and calligraphy, and sampled Suzhou-style pastries.
Suzhou Industrial Park One-stop Service Centre for Expats provided consultancy on site to help students from abroad get used to local life.
April 22, 2024
