That afternoon, the Filipino-Chinese youth who had just arrived in Zhangzhou held a brief opening ceremony and took a Chinese proficiency test to be placed into appropriate classes.
"This is the first time the Filipino-Chinese Youth Chinese Training Group has come to Zhangzhou for study, and we look forward to creating many memories over these two months." William Zheng, the leader of the group, explained that the members are primarily middle school students aged 10 to 15, most of whom already have a basic foundation in Chinese.
It is understood that this training program is sponsored and organized by Mr. Lucio Tan, a prominent Filipino-Chinese community leader and Chairman of Philippine Airlines, and will continue until May 23rd.
"My mother wants me to be more independent." Hong Kuaile, a first-year middle school student from the Philippine Cultural College, said in an interview that he returns to Shishi, Fujian, every year for vacation. He added that participating in this training group is not only to improve his Chinese expression but also to cultivate his ability to live independently.
Gao Meizhu, one of the accompanying teachers, noted that because these students are generally young, she is also concerned about how to foster their independent living skills. To this end, senior students majoring in "Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages" at Minnan Normal University will be paired one-on-one with the Filipino students to assist them with daily life and provide tutoring to improve their spoken Chinese during their spare time.
During the program, the Filipino-Chinese students will study Chinese, calligraphy, painting, paper-cutting, martial arts, and the recitation of ancient poetry. They will also appreciate Chinese songs, traditional musical instruments, and animation dubbing, while experiencing the preparation of Chinese delicacies such as spring rolls, mochi, and dumplings. Additionally, they will visit historical sites including the Lin Yutang Memorial Hall, Tulou, Zhangzhou Old Street, the Confucius Temple, and Nanshan Temple.
"Some children can even speak Minnan dialect, while others can only communicate using Pinyin; their Chinese proficiency varies," said William Zheng. He noted that while most students have received years of Chinese education in the Philippines, they lack a deep understanding of Chinese culture. He hopes that the students will improve their Chinese proficiency and enhance their understanding of Chinese culture within these two months.
