More than 200 young people from 15 countries experienced local culture and celebrated their friendship with their peers in Wuhu, Anhui, at the Soong Ching ling International Summer Camp, which kicked off in Beijing on June 17. In its fifth year, the Soong Ching Ling Foundation-sponsored event brings together about 400 youth from across the world.

Make global friends in China

The summer camp is designed to build a broad platform for global youth to learn about and from each other.

The 200 youth arrived at the Youth Palace on July 20 to see what the palace has to offer: traditional Chinese culture and cultural activities with local characteristics.

They learned about the Feng Yang Flower Drum, Huangmei opera, Chinese folk songs, paper-cutting, instruments, calligraphy and painting, which they very much enjoyed.

At the Peking Opera House, they learned basic gestures that often appeared in the national entertainment. Although many of them had not ever listened to the opera, the teacher shared movement, songs, and staging by example, which inspired the students to follow suit.

To encourage the youth to learn more about Chinese culture in a short period of time, the Youth Palace offered a series of programs about Chinese operas, Wuhu iron pictures, calligraphy and the art of tea-making.

And with that, the visiting young people saw many works that contained a variety of themes, and wearing the costumes, some European students learned how to perform different Chinese operas. In addition, they watched the art of traditional Chinese tea-making and practiced with the coach.

When they finished the cultural tour, the global youth gave performances from their own cultures. in the palace’s courtyard.