The Study China Program has recently is one of the many academic outlets provided by the government for foreign students to study Chinese life, culture, business, and language. Recently, 220 students from various universities in the United Kingdom attended the Study China Program which was held at the East China Normal University in Shanghai.
Many critics have praised the Study China Program. Many hailed it as a notable outlet for not only foreign students but foreigners in general, to learn about the various aspects of the Chinese culture. Among the topics discussed during the recent Study China Program are calligraphy and Chinese history. The whole program takes three weeks to complete.
The Global Times was able to spoke to some of the students that took the Study China Program, and most of the students' reactions are positive. The students were able to learn Putonghua and tai chi during the three week period of the program.
Among the well-received topics are calligraphy and culture. Calligraphy is a visual art of writing. It requires unique skills and when perfected, one can essentially convey various emotions through handwriting. Some of the students find calligraphy extremely relaxing and comfortable to learn.
Most of the students found calligraphy hard to master. However, despite its difficulty, many find it rewarding after they have mastered some of the fundamental strokes of the art. The students saw calligraphy as an art form that takes years to master and one which requires the utmost dedication and discipline.
On the other hand, Putonghua is the standardized version of the Chinese language. While not as elegant as calligraphy, Putonghua is still revered by many students as a form of artistic expression as the writing style requires skill such as dexterity. Aside from being considered as a refreshingly new and creative way of writing, many students consider Putonghua as very relaxing.
Tai chi is an internal Chinese martial art that has been in existence and has been practiced since ancient times. It is widely practiced in China as a form of self-defense training and also praised for its health benefits. In fact, the Chinese government openly encourages all of its citizens to practice Taichi.
Some of the students have noted that Chinese teachings from their native home are relatively different compared to the one covered by the Study China Program. This change in perspective allows the students to view the Chinese culture in a relatively new way.
