First Festival of Chinese Culture Introduction

To promote traditional Chinese culture and create an atmosphere for learning about the culture on campus and in the local community, the University of Macau (UM) will hold the first Festival of Chinese Culture. With a series of creative activities from October to December, the festival aims to enhance students’ interest in Chinese history and culture and increase their understanding of the culture.

The First Festival of Chinese Culture is organised by the University of Macau, with Culture and Tourism Department of Henan Province, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R Government, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R Government and the Macao Foundation as the guiding entities, and the Think Tank of United Citizens, the University International College of the Macau University of Science and Technology, the Academy of Chinese Studies of the City University of Macau, the Macau Millennium College, the Macau Chinese Excellent Traditional Culture Association, and the Macao Base for Primary & Secondary Education in Humanities & Social Sciences as the collaborating entities. The Festival of Chinese Culture will be promoted, implemented, and supported by a number of organizations.

The Festival of Chinese Culture combines the promotion, implementation and execution of the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC with the promotion of Chinese traditional culture, which is of special significance for the times and is an innovative and open public service event. It is an innovative, open and public service event that has been confirmed to take place in Beijing and Europe. A series of prelude events and warm-up competitions will be held from mid-October, while the core events will be held in November, with events taking place at the University, the University’s Chinese History and Culture Promotion Base, and the University’s partners in Henan, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Zhejiang; and major events will continue into December.

The core programmes of the Festival of Chinese Culture include three series: 1) a series of lectures, publicity and education on Chinese history and culture; 2) a series of exhibitions, shows and displays on Chinese history and culture; and 3) a series of forums, seminars and debates on Chinese culture and Macao culture. The series includes “Chinese Costume Performance, Chinese Language The programme included more than 60 events, including “Taijiquan Exchange between Macao and Henan Youths”, “Touring China – Ancient and New” – Touring Yanshi Erlitou Relic Site, “Chinese Costume Performance, Chinese and Foreign Language Poetry Recital”, “Performance Programme: Mulan Crane Dance with Fan” and ” Macao Forum for Chinese Culture”.

UM continues to establish bases for promotion of Chinese history and culture in secondary schools in Macao

After establishing nine bases for the promotion of Chinese history and culture, the Centre for Chinese History and Culture of the University of Macau (UM) recently signed agreements with Sao Jose Diocesan College, Fifth School, and Kao Yip Middle School on the establishment of the base in the schools. With the signing of the agreements, Sao Jose Diocesan College, Fifth School, and Kao Yip Middle School became the tenth and eleventh school in Macao to establish the base, respectively.

At the ceremony, Zhu Shoutong, director of the CCHC, said that the base is an important project established by the Macao Base for Primary & Secondary Education in Humanities & Social Sciences and the CCHC to promote Chinese history and culture. Wong Kin Man, principal of Sao Jose Diocesan College, Fifth School, talked about the school’s past efforts in promoting Chinese culture and expressed hope that the school would be able to reach out to the community and expand external cooperation and exchange. Ho Shing, principal of Kao Yip Middle School, said that promoting Chinese culture is an important mission of the school. He is confident that with the support of UM’s strong research capacity, the school will be able to further deepen its research and education work.

 

Tong Nam School Visited Exhibition

On 28 September 2022 (Wed), under the warm reception of Cheang Neng Ian, Deputy Director of Centre for Chinese History and Culture of the University of Macau, and other administrative staff, Principal Ieong Chan Kei and nine teachers from Tong Nam School visited CCHC to see the exhibition “Youth and War Flames – Young Figures of the New Fourth Army”.
During the course of the exhibition, Principal Ieong pointed out that the New Fourth Army’s fearless attitude towards sacrifice was worthy of praise by teachers and students and hoped that the teaching team could continue its immortal spirit through action. Through the exhibition, teachers can learn that the New Fourth Army not only made significant military contributions, but also made significant cultural, economic and medical contributions, making it a learning opportunity not to be missed.

Cheang Neng Ian, Deputy Director of the Centre, suggested that schools could bring the exhibition of the New Fourth Army to their campuses to enhance patriotic education, raise the sense of national identity and pride among Macao’s youth, and nurture a new generation of patriots who love Macao.

“Ye Ting and Macao” Seminar Held at the University of Macau

“Ye Ting and Macao” Seminar, jointly organized by Yancheng Culture Radio Film and TV and Tourism Administration, New Fourth Army Memorial Hall and CCHC. It was held at CCHC on the morning of 21 September, 2022.

Ye Ting was one of the main leaders of the New Fourth Army. He commanded the Nanchang Uprising and served as the commander-in-chief of the former enemy. He was the commander-in-chief of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army when he participated in the Guangzhou Uprising, and served as the commander of the New Fourth Army during the Anti-Japanese War. As the founder of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and an important leader of the New Fourth Army, Ye Ting experienced many ups and downs in his life. He became famous as a young man and wrote a legend of the Northern Expedition and the anti-Japanese war. He experienced overseas exile and five years of imprisonment, and his song “Song for the Prisoner” became a reflection of his steadfast revolutionary spirit.

Ye Ting and his family had a close relationship with Macao. The former residence of General Ye Ting, located at No. 76, R. do Alm. Costa Cabral, was the residence of Ye Ting’s family in Macao from 1932 to 1942. Seven of his nine children were born here and spent most of their childhood here. Since 2012, the Macao government has been restoring the former residence of Ye Ting. On May 28, 2014, the “General Ye Ting’s Former Residence” was officially opened to the public. Since then, the “General Ye Ting’s Former Residence” has become an important historical and cultural attraction in Macao.

The seminar invited Professor Qiu Jinbiao, Director of the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, Professor Pang Chuan, Legislative Councillor of Macao, President of the Yancheng Friendship Association of Macao, Vice President of the Macau University of Science and Technology, Professor Chan Wei Ming, President of Macau Millennium College, Professor Xu Jie, Dean of FAH, Professor Lam Iok Fong, Director of the Centre for Macau Studies, Professor Fu Tianhong, visiting professor of CCHC, Professor Zhu Shoutong, Director of CCHC, Ye Zhudi, Editor-in-Chief of Shanghai’s “Exploration and Free Views” magazine and other scholars to participate in the discussion.

In the online speech, Ms. Ye Lin, granddaughter of General Ye Ting, said that her grandfather had a deep affection for Macao throughout his life, and that her grandmother had brought several children to live in Macao for a long period of time when her grandfather joined the revolution. It was only after the outbreak of the New Forth Army Incident and the imprisonment of her grandfather by the Kuomintang that her grandmother left Macau with her family. Her father, Mr. Ye Zhingda, returned to Macao in 1993 after a long absence of 50 years, as the communication and airport construction in Macao was in its initial stage. Ms. Ye Lian expressed her gratitude to the organizer of the seminar on “Ye Ting and Macao”, and wished the event a great success.

The seminar was chaired by Professor Zhu Shoutong, Director of CCHC, and a number of experts and scholars conducted a broad and in-depth academic exchange on the patriotic spirit and indomitable revolutionary spirit of General Ye Ting, as well as his legendary life. The organizer hoped that through the academic seminar jointly organized by Suzhou and Macao, the historical and humanistic materials of Macao represented by General Ye Ting will be explored in depth, further enriching the connotation of Macao’s historical literature and contributing to the construction of Macao as a base for exchange and cooperation with Chinese culture as the mainstream and the coexistence of multiple cultures.

After the seminar, guests were invited to visit the exhibition “Youth and War Flames – Young Figures of the New Fourth Army” which will be launched on 22 September.

“Youth and War Flames – Young Figures of the New Fourth Army” Helps Macao Youth Know State

Directed by Jiangsu Overseas Association, supported by Macau Jiangsu Friendship Association, Jiangsu Hong Kong Cultural Association, co-organized by Yancheng Overseas Association, New Fourth Army Memorial Hall, Centre for Chinese History and Culture (CCHC), National Conditions Education Association (Macau), The “Youth and War Flames – Young Figures of the New Fourth Army” was recently held at Centre for Chinese History and Culture of the University of Macau.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China. The exhibition captures 54 representative New Fourth Army youth deeds. The original intention and mission of the Chinese Communists and young soldiers of the New Fourth Army are explained intensively. The aims are to enable Macao youth to understand the history of the suffering of the motherland and the history of struggle since modern times, to feel the firm faith and spirit of the Chinese Communist Party of leading the entire nation’s compatriots to save the country, rejuvenate the country, and strengthen the country, to effectively promote the identity of adolescents with the State and the nation, to gather more patriotic forces and to strengthen patriotic education.

The event kicked off with a video presentation of “Youth and War Flames – Young Figures of the New Fourth Army,” during which the narrator of the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall presented the red story “Red Romance of the Prosperous Years” and the red scene recited “Song for Prisoner.”

In the speech of, Li Weihua, Deputy Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and Vice President of Jiangsu Overseas Association, said, In modern times, outstanding children such as Zhou Enlai, Qu Qiubai, Zhang Wentian, Yun Daiying, Zhang Tailei and Qin Bangxian had emerged in Jiangsu. Thousands of revolutionary martyrs fought and sacrificed on the land of Jiangsu in order to resist aggression for people’s liberation and the country’s rebirth. The “Iron Army Spirit” of the New Fourth Army, cast in blood, is one of the bright undertones of Jiangsu’s local culture, which is a valuable cultural asset in Chinese civilization history.

Zhu Shoutong, Director of the Centre for Chinese History and Culture at the University of Macau, believes that the smooth running of the exhibition shows that the epidemic is on its way out, that Covid-19 will surely fall and that normal order will return to our lives. Zhu also highlighted the relationship between the leaders of the New Fourth Army and Macao, showing that Macao is a city to be proud of since it has not been absent from an important part of modern Chinese revolutionary history.

Speaking as a representative of the students, Yang Wenpei of the University of Macau said that when she visited the exhibition, she felt the state spirit of the New Fourth Army. Home is the smallest country, and the country is a thousand families. The historical stories behind the pictures are imbued with a strong sense of family and nationality and vividly convey a nation’s rich heritage.

Yin Rutao, Deputy Director General of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Li Weihua, Deputy Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and Vice President of the Jiangsu Overseas Association; Wong Chio In, Head of Divison of Educational Planning and Facility of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Lam Vai Ip, Head of Division of Art Development of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Ma Io Fong, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Macao; Sham Chin Ping, Member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) of Jiangsu Province and President of the Macao Jiangsu Friendship Association; Chen Hui Yu, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC of Jiangsu Province and President of the Jiangsu & Hong Kong Cultural Association; Linda Chen, President of the Macau Chinese Excellent Traditional Culture Association; Zhang Zhizhong, Director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Department of the United Front Work Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee; Wang Huan, Fourth Grade Researcher of the United Front Work Department of the Yancheng Municipal Party Committee and member of the Party Committee of the Yancheng City Federation of Industry and Commerce; Qiu Jinbiao, Director of the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province; Xu Jie, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Macau, were the officiating guests. After the kick-off ceremony, the guests were guided by a lecturer from the New Fourth Army Memorial Hall to visit the “Youth and War Flames – Young Figures of the New Fourth Army” Exhibition. It is reported that the event kicked off at CCHC and is planned to come to more Macau campuses in the future.

The Base for the Promotion of Chinese History and Culture Has Reached its Basic Goal

Centre for Chinese History and Culture (CCHC) of the University of Macau, witnessed by the leaders of the Education and Youth Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, recently signed an agreement with St. Joseph Parish Secondary School No. 5 on the Establishment of Chinese History and Culture Promotion Bases (《共建中國歷史文化推廣基地協議》), which marks the completion of ten Chinese History and Culture Promotion Bases so far and the achievement of the basic goal set by the project.

On the afternoon of Monday, September 19, 2022, the fifth school of St. Joseph Parish Secondary School No. 5 held a grand event and signing ceremony in the school auditorium. Director Xu Ting and Deputy Director Xu Zhiping of the Education and Youth Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Xu Jie, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Macau, Director Zhu Shoutong and Deputy Director Cheang Neng Ian of CCHC, President Vong Piu of the Union of Catholic Schools of Macau, Director Chan Teng Fong of Comissão Diocesana da Educação Católica, Superintendent Anna Chang of St. Joseph Parish Secondary School No. 5, Principal Wong Kin Man, Vice Principal Lim Ling Lai, Vice Principal Man Kun Nei, Vice Principal Kui Kiu Yan, Vice Principal and Mr. Pao Siu Kuan, also represented the University of Macau and St. Joseph Parish Secondary School No. 5 respectively.

On behalf of St. Joseph Parish Secondary School No. 5, Principal Wong Kin Man introduced the school’s past efforts in promoting Chinese culture, and hoped that after becoming a promotion base in the future, the school could go to the next level and actively face the community and expand external cooperation and exchange. Mr. Lim also pointed out that St. Joseph Parish Secondary School No. 5 attaches great importance to history education, and the school’s “Love My China” Mainland study tour has been well received by students for many years.

Director of CCHC Zhu Shoutong said that the Base for the Promotion of Chinese History and Culture is an important project established by the Macao Base for Primary & Secondary Education in Humanities & Social Sciences and the CCHC, which is an important practice in the construction and promotion of Chinese culture. The aim is to implement the high-end positioning of “Chinese Culture as the Mainstream, Multicultural Coexistence Exchange” and to establish a model for promoting Chinese culture in primary and secondary schools in Macao.
The project aims to strengthen the cooperation with Macao primary and secondary schools, deepen Macao youth’s knowledge and understanding of Chinese history and culture, enhance their sense of national identity, and encourage them to pass on their outstanding traditional culture, so as to better promote the spread and development of Chinese culture in Macao.

At present, ten Chinese History and Culture Promotion Bases have been established, including Pui Ching Middle School, Escola Estrela do Mar, Baptist College, Escola Choi Nong Chi Tai, Colégio Mateus Ricci, The Affiliated School of the University of Macau, Lou Hau High School, Escola Xin Hua, Tong Nam School, and the latest addition, St. Joseph Parish Secondary School No. 5, completing the task of establishing ten promotion bases in five years ahead of schedule. The promotion bases have achieved fruitful results and accumulated valuable experience in the implementation of the Master Teacher and School Seminar Program, the Historical and Cultural Heritage Study Tour Program and the Special Project Construction Program. Zhu pointed out that the plan has proved to be feasible to build the promotion centres in a steady and effective manner.

Delegation of China Tourism Academy and Macao Government Tourism Office Visited Macao Base for Primary & Secondary Education in Humanities & Social Sciences

On September 19, 2022 (Mon), Zhang Yang, Associate Researcher of the Institute of Industry of China Tourism Academy, Chai Yan, visiting Scholar of the Institute of Industry of China Tourism Academy, and Ma U Leng, Head of Organizational Planning and Development Department of the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), and the delegation visited the Base.

The delegation was warmly received by Professor Sio Chio Leong, Director of Academic Affairs Department of CCHC, Kuan Sio In, Principal Administrative Officer, and Professor Chen Zhong, Deputy Director of the Confucius Institute, who led them to visit Cultural Building and introduced them to the basic information of the Base, CCHC and the Confucius Institute in Cultural Building.

During the interactive conversation, Prof. Sio Chio Leong pointed out that the interaction between mainland China and Macao universities should be strengthened, hoping to form a platform for mainland students to study in Macao and develop the awareness of study tour industry. Associate Researcher Zhang Yang agreed and hoped to strengthen the exchange and cooperation in the future.

Finally, on behalf of CCHC, Kuan Sio In, Principal Administrative Officer, presented a souvenir to Mr. Zhang Yang.

Professor Zhu Shoutong Received Great Enthusiasm in “Seminar on the Development of Compulsory Education in Suzhou”

Suzhou Municipal Education Association and Soochow University Private Education Research Center organized the “Seminar on the Development of Compulsory Education in Suzhou” on July 12, 2022. The seminar aims to analyze the possible difficulties and challenges in reducing the proportion of private compulsory education in Suzhou and to seek advice from authoritative experts for the reference of the relevant departments.

Suzhou is the earliest, fastest and most prosperous city in China for the development of private voluntary education. This seminar is a high-profile professional conference in mainland China. Representatives of Macao SAR were invited to give keynote speeches in the seminar, including Prof. Liu Jun, Rector of the City University of Macau, and Prof. Zhu Shoutong of the Centre for Chinese History and Culture of the University of Macau (CCHC). President Liu Jun is also an academic member of CCHC.

Professor Zhu Shoutong, the person-in-charge of the Macao Base for Primary & Secondary Education in Humanities & Social Sciences, attended the conference and presented a speech on the theme of “The historical opportunity period of the advanced private education”. In the seminar, he introduced the situation of private basic education in Hong Kong and Macao. He provided a case study of the advanced private education in Suzhou with historical significance and cultural heritage, which aroused the intense interest of the participants in the seminar to further communicate, as a testimony to the unity of the academics from Macao and the mainland China in contributing to the development of compulsory education in China. Professor Liu Jun also presented a speech on the educational situation in Macao.

Professor Zhu Shoutong: Cultural Ethics is the Key to Introducing Chinese Traditional Culture into Campus

Editor’s Note: General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed in his presidency of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on deepening the study of the Chinese civilization exploration project that “Chinese civilization has a long and profound history. It is the unique spiritual mark of the Chinese nation, the root of contemporary Chinese culture, the spiritual bond that connects Chinese people around the world, and the treasure of Chinese cultural innovation.”

The closing ceremony of the first “Celebrating Traditional Chinese Culture” project was recently successfully held online. The event was co-organized by the China Education Innovation Institute of BNU, China Education Innovation EXPO and the China Education Channel (http://edu.china.com.cn/). What is the relationship between red culture and Chinese traditional culture? Why is Chinese civilization the only one among the four ancient civilizations surviving today? What is the key to Chinese traditional culture in entering schools and colleges? The China Education Channel planned the first “Celebrating Traditional Chinese Culture” project learning activity series and interviewed Professor Zhu Shoutong, Head of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and Director of the Centre for Chinese History and Culture of the University of Macau, and Executive Vice Chairman of the Overseas, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Chinese Calligraphers Association, to explain the above issues.

Professor Zhu Shoutong, Head of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and Director of the Centre for Chinese History and Culture of the University of Macau (CCHC), and Executive Vice Chairman of the Overseas, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Chinese Calligraphers Association, interviewed by www.chinanews.com

“People-oriented” is the spiritual core of Chinese traditional culture

Interviewer: How do you understand the traditional Chinese culture?

Zhu: Chinese traditional culture is all-encompassing. Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, Legalism, and other parts of classical Chinese thought and cultural wisdom form the core of Chinese traditional culture, which the idea of “people-oriented” can summarize. This core of people-oriented thinking may be expressed differently in various historical periods and political contexts, but the spiritual direction it embodies must be the same.

Interviewer: Can you elaborate on the spiritual core of the “people-oriented” traditional Chinese culture?

Zhu: Chinese traditional culture is represented by Confucianism, of which the formation of the spiritual core of Chinese traditional culture should be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, when a hundred thoughts were contending. The core of Confucianism, Mohism and Taoism can be summarized as “benevolence”, Confucius’s “people-oriented”, Mencius’s “benevolent government”, Mo Tzu’s “Doctrines of Universal Love and Antiwar” Lao Zi’s “Heaven and Earth are ruthless; To them the Ten Thousand Things are But as straw dogs” are all about “benevolence.” The highest degree of overlap between different schools of thought is the idea of “benevolence”.

Interviewer: What is the relationship between the Chinese traditional culture and the cultures of other nationalities all over the world?

Zhu: Every great nation in the world has a great culture, and the greatness of a nation is due to the greatness of its culture. The core of a great culture should be a culture that is in line with the direction of human civilization. The idea of “benevolence” in Chinese traditional culture contains values such as “The Benevolent loves the others” and “Doctrines of Universal Love”. There are many similar values in the West, such as “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity (Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité)”. Although the expressions and connotations of “fraternity” in Chinese and Western cultures are relatively different, both sides point to respect, affinity, and love between people.

Interviewer: In your opinion, what makes Chinese civilization the only civilization that has persisted to the present?

Zhu: Among the four ancient civilizations in the world, the Chinese civilization is the only one that has not experienced a break in the flow of literature or a cultural fault line. This is due to various factors such as history, geography and culture, and it is also closely related to the spiritual energy of Chinese culture that can adapt to different historical periods, modes of production and social structures. Whether it is the 3,000-year history of Chinese civilization recognized by the international community or the 5,000-year history of Chinese culture that can be proved by archaeological data, the Chinese nation has always been able to move forward bravely through the twists and turns and maintain the distinctive characteristics of Chinese civilization in the exposion to natural disasters and foreign invasions.

It can be said that the excellence of Chinese civilization lies in its strong benevolence and influence on foreign cultures. During its tortuous development, Chinese civilization has been constantly challenged by other cultures. However, most of foreign cultures were accommodated by the Chinese civilization and became part of the new Chinese civilization in the end. The Chinese traditional culture in all aspects, especially in the field of religion, has always maintained a tradition of openness and benevolence, which provides a precious reference for other civilizations worldwide.

Interviewer: What suggestions do you have for promoting Chinese traditional culture?

Zhu: There is a certain degree of deviation in the public’s knowledge of some aspects of Chinese traditional culture. During the May Fourth Movement, the intellectuals at that time put forward a lot of critical views on traditional Chinese culture from the perspective of modern civilization to promote the development of the new cultural movement. Nowadays, most of the traditional culture that the public is exposed to and cognizant of is based on the various viewpoints accepted from the texts interpreted by modern people rather than the contents expressed in the original texts of Chinese traditional culture.

In other words, what the public knows is not the traditional culture in its original form, but it interpreted by modern people out of various needs of the time, thus making the original Chinese traditional culture’s dross magnified and causing people to have a negative impression of some of its contents.

Such one-sided cultural interpretations have been common in Chinese history. For example, the story of “Bury Son to Support His Mother”, which was included in the ”Twenty-four Stories of Filial Piety” of the Yuan Dynasty, is an interpretation that violates human nature and distorts the spirit of “filial piety”. In my opinion, the promotion of Chinese traditional culture should return to the original texts, and we should read and interpret the culture on the basis of the original texts.

Cultural Ethics is the Key to Introducing Chinese Traditional Culture into Campus

Interviewer: How to make Chinese traditional culture better implement on campus?

Zhu: For students of different academic levels and cognitive levels, there is a need to differentiate the introduction of Chinese traditional culture into campus. It is difficult for elementary school students to understand reading cultural texts.

In my opinion, one of the key words in Chinese traditional culture is “cultural ethics”, and Chinese traditional culture should be precipitated as an ethical and moral ability of human behaviour and human values. Ethics is not for others to see, but a sense of self-awareness and righteous judgment of right and wrong, and young people are in the critical period of cultural ethics formation, so they need to be guided. For example, “respecting others” includes respecting and understanding others. If parents affirm their children‘s retaliation for their classmates’ glares, they are not teaching their children to be benevolent, loving and friendly from a cultural and ethical perspective.

Interviewer: In what way should cultural ethics be introduced into schools?

Zhu: When cultural ethics is introduced into the campus, it needs to be integrated into the daily curriculum, rather than taking the form of activities.

For elementary school students, the activities tend to be formal and look busy, such as learning to respect their parents and assigning children the task of washing their parents’ feet. If they are cheeky, they will lose the influence of cultural ethics. Through the explanation of excellent traditional culture, the choices and stories of historical figures should be told so that children can intuitively understand the trade-offs and considerations of these historical figures in the context of the time. In this way, children will identify with Chinese traditional culture’s values at the cultural ethics level.

Therefore, the theme of this tribute activity is perfect, which is to “pay tribute” to the excellent traditional culture of China and to convey to the students an attitude and concept of maintaining respect for the traditional culture.

Interviewer: What are your feelings and gains from participating in the first “Celebrating Traditional Chinese Culture” project learning activities?

Zhu: The teams participated in this tribute with a very positive, serious and reverent attitude. The preparation of the text, the setting of the video, the collation of materials, and the planning of the display of each link are all reflect the appeal and intrinsic charm of this tribute.

Many people think that “Chinese traditional culture” and “young students” are not very relevant because the former is more relevant to experts, cultural researchers and teachers. By participating in this tribute, we will find that the excellent traditional culture is all around the youth. Not only do they need to learn it, but they need to experience it. This cultural form is a natural, cultural resource that is embedded in our Chinese bloodline.

The exchange and collision of civilizations is vital to keep cultures alive

Interviewer: Since modern times, the influential Western culture has had a far-reaching impact on the world. What can be learned from how Western culture is spread in relation to the spread of Chinese traditional culture?

Zhu: Historically, Western countries have spread their cultures through military, religious, educational and cultural exchanges. For us, what we can learn is to spread Chinese culture through education and cultural exchanges. During the May Fourth Movement, the Chinese people at that time accepted many Western things through the introduction of foreign writings and Western-style education.

Interviewer: Global cultures are constantly exchanging and colliding nowadays. How can Chinese traditional culture keep up with the times and innovate?

Zhu: To promote cultural innovation, we must consider the following three aspects.

First, the concept of “cultural confidence” advocated by our country is essential. The influence of culture is self-evident if a country wants to establish its position in the world and win its dignity. A country with cultural confidence can show its excellence on the world stage and win the respect of other nations and countries worldwide. Cultural confidence is a quality that every Chinese nation and every Chinese need to improve.

Second, a culturally benevolent and open attitude is closely related to cultural confidence. Only a country with full cultural self-confidence can truly treat other cultures with the attitude of openness and benevolence. On the basis of establishing ourselves and not losing ourselves, we can have a high degree of self-confidence to view, tolerate, examine and conditionally accept other advanced cultures because they are also essential resources for enriching and enriching Chinese culture. The exchange and collision between different cultures are important to maintain cultural vitality.

Third, under the state of globalization and openness, Chinese scholars need to use their language, habits, and oriental thinking to interpret the Chinese traditional culture, an advantage that no non-Chinese native-speaking cultural scholars have.

Article/ Jiang Lili

Original Article URL:http://t.m.china.com.cn/convert/c_1plqJ5PP.html

CCHC Visited the Chinese Section of Colegio de Santa Rosa de Lima

Macao Base for Primary & Secondary Education in Humanities & Social Sciences is dedicated to the training and teaching of literature, history, visual art, Putonghua and foreign languages, aiming to nurture diversified talents for Macao. In the morning of 9 June, 2022 (Thursday), members of Centre for Chinese History and Culture (CCHC) including Deputy Director Cheang Neng Ian, Principal Administrative Officer Kuan Sio In, and Administrative Assistant Ho Sok Fong visited the Chinese Section of Colegio de Santa Rosa de Lima for discussion of future collaboration opportunities.

During the interactive dialogue, Ms. Leung Yukying, Head of the Curriculum and Research Team of the Primary Division, said that the school has been sparing no effort in educating students on literature and history and therefore has set up a Chinese Culture Day every year to let students understand history and culture through various activities. Ms. Chan Muimui, Chinese Subject Leader of the Primary Division, said that the training courses offered by the base meet the needs of the teaching team and that she would like to invite instructors to train Chinese teachers on ancient poetry chanting skills. Ms. Lui Sinying, Head of the Curriculum and Research Team of the Secondary Division, also explained that the training courses offered by the base could provide more opportunities for literature and history teachers to further their studies and learn.

In addition, Deputy Director Cheang mentioned that in the future, the graduation project reports about teaching practices of the Centre’s postgraduate students would be uploaded to the Centre’s website for reference of all literature and history teachers in Macao. Finally, on behalf of the Centre for Chinese History and Culture, Deputy Director Cheang presented the pennant and journals to the Chinese Section of Colegio de Santa Rosa de Lima as souvenirs.

Deputy Director Cheang introduced the Base to the school teachers

Deputy Director Cheang pointed out that the Base aims to provide teaching support for primary & secondary schools in Macao

Group Photo