On the afternoon of December 31, the closing ceremony of the 2022 Chinese Cultural Paradise-Camp of Europe (Phase VIII) was held online. It is sponsored by China Overseas Friendship Association, organized by Tianjin Overseas Friendship Association, and co-organized by Tianjin University. Guests from the Tianjin Overseas Friendship Association and Tianjin University joined with overseas Chinese youth to celebrate the closing of this camp together.

Camp representatives from Portugal, Italy and Germany shared their stories at the ceremony and expressed heartfelt thanks to the organizers. They agreed that the camp experience helped them learn more about Chinese history and culture, and offered them an opportunity to get to know Tianjin Municipality. “We are very impressed with Tianjin’s development and its culture and food.” The students also voiced their wish to visit Tianjin and Tianjin University if circumstances permit in future.

At the closing ceremony, a graduation video produced by Tianjin University led the participants to savor the wonderful moments of the camp. Students from Italy’s Sino-Italian International School performed the dance “A country Whose People Value Etiquette Highly” and the martial arts “Strong Youth” while their classmates from Germany, accompanied by the clarinet, sang Jingle Bells in Chinese. Chinese students also put on some dancing and singing shows.

The 2022 Chinese Cultural Paradise-Camp of Europe (Phase VIII) lasted for 12 days. More than 200 teenagers of Chinese origin from Portugal, Italy and Germany gathered online and learned about Chinese Kung Fu, food, handicrafts and traditional festivals like the Chinese New Year. All of them have successfully mastered a Chinese song, a Chinese style dance, and one set of Chinese fist boxing and finished one Chinese painting and one handicraft.

By Zhang Yiru

Editor: Eva Yin