(ECNS) -- Over a hundred teenagers from more than twenty countries and regions will arrive in Beijing on Sunday to participate in a summer camp, where they will have a deeper understanding of the charm of Chinese civilization. Their parents or ancestors being Chinese, they are carrying the hopes and blessings of relatives and friends, as well as a sense of curiosity and anticipation for their ancestral homeland. The youngest of these teenagers is 6 years old, and the oldest 24, all of whom excel in traditional Chinese culture, such as Chinese painting, calligraphy, Chinese character design, and traditional music performances. Six children from Mongolia set off three days in advance. They took a train from Ulaanbaatar to Dzamiin-Uud, a border city adjacent to Erenhot city in NorthChina. From Erenhot, they took several bus transfers before finally arriving in Beijing late at night. Zhang Yuyue, an outstanding award recipient in the Chinese character design project, said taking the train was the most challenging part of her three-day journey. Doyi Kim from South Korea said she wants to visit the Great Wall. She had seen pictures of the magnificent Great Wall spanning across mountain ranges in books. In her eyes, it is not just a wall but also a symbol of China. Jessica Nondolesmono, a teacher from Indonesia, mentioned that most of the students in her team are visiting China for the first time, and for some, it's even their first time traveling abroad. Therefore, they are experiencing an indescribable mix of emotions – a blend of excitement, worry and anticipation. The children are all winners of the first Chinese culture practice competition. This competition, which has been in preparation since May, had attracted the active participation of thousands of teenagers from nearly 50 countries and regions worldwide. In the end, over a hundred individuals stood out and were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals. Overseas and domestic teenagers will visit famous Beijing landmarks over the course of four days, including the National Grand Theatre, Baidu Group, the Summer Palace, Tsinghua University, National Ethnic Culture Palace, the Bird's Nest (or the National Stadium) and Water Cube, Beijing's Central Axis, National Museum of China, and the Juyongguan Great Wall. Twenty Chinese teenagers will participate in the event as well to facilitate cultural exchange. This event is under the guidance of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China and hosted by China News Service. It is organized by China News Network, Chinaqw.com, and Overseas Chinese Language and Culture Education Online. |