Portuguese students practice Chinese at Tianjin summer camp

A group of 19 Chinese-language learners from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, recently visited Tianjin as part of the Chinese Bridge summer camp, where they put their speaking skills to the test among China's ancient culture.

The camp was organized by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation.

During their two-week trip, the group immersed themselves in diverse Chinese scenes. They tried guqin (a seven-stringed zither) at Tianjin Ancient Culture Street, visited high-tech enterprises in Xiqing district, dined with local families to learn to make dumplings, and joined elders for square dancing in community parks.

Network security engineer Ricardo Andrade Pugliese said the trip reshaped his stereotypes of China, in particular its rapid development and efficient public services.

Ana Carolina Pestana Neta, a student from the University of Lisbon, finally understood the Chinese proverb, "One who doesn't reach the Great Wall is not a hero", when she stood on the landmark. She described the experience as inspiring, embodying perseverance and courage.

Wang Jincheng, director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Lisbon, explained that the institute selects 20 to 30 young learners annually to study at Tianjin Foreign Studies University. A new exchange project is set to include Macau to deepen historical Sino-Portuguese ties.

Driven by rising enthusiasm for learning Chinese, an increasing number of Portuguese youth plan long-term studies in China. Diogo Antonio Moreira Lopes de Carvalho Rosa intends to pursue further education at Shanghai Jiao Tong University this September, while Margarida Isabel Cacao Ferreira hopes to continue her language studies in Tianjin.

Wang Jingxu and Zhang Jiashuo contributed to this story.