Over a hundred overseas Chinese teenagers took part in a winter camp in Heilongjiang province in 2018, where they set off on a journey to find their roots in China. The teens recited traditional Chinese classics together at the closing ceremony of the camp.

Wang Yiyun from Australia recited the full text of Disciple Gauge in fluent Chinese, which pleased the audience a lot. “My ancestors were in China, and my root is in China. I am really fond of traditional Chinese culture,” Wang said.

During the 14-day camp, the teens not only learned Chinese, martial arts, folk dances and songs, but also had a good time at the Flood Control Monument, the Harbin Ice-Snow World, the central street and the Siberian Tiger Forest Park.

Camper Wang Dunyang said he made many friends from all over the world. “I learned great Chinese culture such as papercutting and calligraphy, and tried many kinds of local dishes as well. Besides, the scenery of ice and snow impressed me a lot. I am especially fond of skiing and snowball fights,” he said.

15-year-old Bu Dalin came from Indonesia and is in grade 10. She has since started studying Chinese at school. Students have Chinese class once a week, learning grammar, speaking and handwriting. Bu has studied Chinese for four years, and has mastered about 2,000 characters through practice. It was her first time to come to China and she was deeply impressed by the convenient transportation, comfortable living environment and developed technology.

Li Jiadai, a teacher from Malaysia, said all the students and teachers studied and worked together during the camp, which made them fully experience the freezing cold in the northeast of China and the enthusiasm of the people there.“Our ancestors are Chinese. They went to South Asia to make their lives and so we are here today. So far, we have the obligation to act as ambassadors and bridges to promote social and cultural exchanges between the countries,” Li said.

The summer and winter camps for overseas Chinese teenagers are organized by the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and Overseas Chinese Affairs Departments of provincial governments. The program aims to give overseas teens an opportunity to learn Chinese and Chinese culture, and promote exchanges among all overseas Chinese teens.