The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles “Experiencing China” Open Day, a mini version of the “Chinese Spring Festival Cultural Temple Fair”
LAPost Los Angeles (February 25, 2024) – On the morning of February 24, the day of the Lantern Festival, more than 150 teachers, students and parents from two middle schools, the Los Angeles International Studies Learning Center and the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center, were invited to The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles participated in an open day event with the theme of “Perceiving China.”
Photo by: Richard Ren/LAPost
On that day, the decorations of lanterns, Spring Festival couplets, auspicious dragons and Chinese knots that could be seen everywhere on the first floor of the Consulate General were full of the festive atmosphere of the Chinese Spring Festival. The “Chinese Culture Class” hosted by Madam Wang Wei, wife of the Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, and the consulate staff carefully set up various highly participatory “workshops” such as paper cutting, fan painting, calligraphy, lantern making, and dumpling making, etc. Bringing local high school students a mini version of the “Chinese Spring Festival Cultural Temple Fair”.
Madam Wang Wei hosting “Chinese Culture Class” Photo by: Richard Ren/LAPost
According to the invitation, the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles not only invited local middle school students to the Lantern Festival at the construction site that day, but also saw off 20 teachers and students from the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center who were about to visit China during the spring break in March.
Dr. Yvonne Chan, principal of Vaughan Next Century Learning Center, graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and can speak fluent Taishan dialect. According to her, this trip to China includes 5 days in Beijing and 3 days in Shanghai. Students and leading teachers are particularly looking forward to this “Experience China” trip.
Photo by: Richard Ren/LAPost
The “Chinese Culture Class” hosted by Wang Wei, wife of the Consul General, was like a quick introduction to traditional Chinese Spring Festival culture for the high school students who were about to visit China. Through short video, as well as prize-based Q&A, it effectively combines knowledge points and points of interest, which has always attracted the attention of high school students.
Foods such as soy beef, sweet and sour pork ribs, steamed dumplings and glutinous rice balls provided for lunch are all loved by high school students.
Guo Shaochun, Consul General Photo by: Richard Ren/LAPost
In his speech, Guo Shaochun, Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, strongly recommended to students who are about to travel to China: “Try the high-speed rail, enjoy Chinese food, experience Chinese culture, and make friends with Chinese youngsters.” At the same time, he encouraged local high school students: “to listen to China with your own ears, observe China with your own eyes and measure China with your own footsteps. When you come back, please share your China stories with your friends.”
Photo by: Richard Ren/LAPost
The planning and arrangement of the day’s activities really gave a strong cultural shock to many local middle school students who had never had the opportunity to be exposed to Chinese culture. Every handicraft stall was crowded with enthusiastic participants, and basically every middle school student participated. All items. During the subsequent sharing process, they actively and enthusiastically expressed their preferences for different projects, and were full of expectations for their upcoming trip to China. Their biggest expectation was as recommended by Consul General Guo Shaochun: they hope to experience Chinese food and scenery. , culture, friendship, feel the real China! (By: Richard Ren/LAPost)
Photo by: Richard Ren/LAPost
