Singaporean students from the Chinese Malanhua Art School gave a performance of what they learned at the China Culture Center in Singapore. Their parents and Chinese culture enthusiasts were among those in the audience.

Their performance was quite fascinating in that the students learned intensively in only 10 hours. And 22 of them came from the Nanyang Primary School, one of the best elementary schools in Singapore with a proven track record of Chinese language education. The school’s prestigious alumni include Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore's incumbent prime minister.

To help the children do well, the newly-built theater on the fourth floor of the China Culture Center was decorated with colorful balloons.

Among the attendees of the event were Chen Xiaodong, the Chinese ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Singapore; Ma Hongying, director of the China Culture Center; Lee Hui Feng, principal of Nanyang Primary School, and Shan Zenghong, vice director of the China National Theatre for Children.

The performance was directed by Su Mingyang from the Malanhua Art School, who taught the students how to depict Chinese characters using body gestures, read ancient Chinese poems and understand musicals.

To the surprise of the audience, the Singaporean kids gave an exciting performance of Chinese culture. They read the ancient Three Character Classic, sang a variety of nursery rhymes, and chanted Chinese poems. Amazed by their ability to learn so much in so short a time, the audiences offered several rounds of applause.

After the performance, many students and parents began to have a stronger interest in Chinese culture. one parent, whose son participated in the performance, said that they support their child to be part of the training course because he is interested in Chinese culture, and hoped that he will learn more about it as he grows up.

The Malanhua Art School now offers training courses for children interested in theatrical performance. Please contact the China Culture Center for more information.