The Chinese Centre Celebrated the Green Wooden Snake

Last Saturday, February 1, Samara University’s Chinese Centre held a number of events dedicated to the Spring Festival – Chinese New Year. Everyone who’s interested in the Chinese language and culture, as well as the University’s foreign students who were unable to travel to their homeland, China, on one of their most important holidays, were invited to participate.

At noon, one could listen to the online lecture by Alina Anshakova, a teacher at the Centre, in which she told about the holiday history, its traditions and main symbols, as well as how the Chinese prepare for it, decorate their homes and relax. Then Olga Mustafaeva, Director of the Chinese Centre, conducted a live broadcast and told in detail about the Centre itself: what story is behind its creation and what it can offer at present. Later, offline workshops on hieroglyphics and the Chinese art of paper cutting – jianzhi were held, as well as games, such as mahjong, “Chain Poems”, “Tiger Hunting”, and even “Mafia” and “Crocodile”, were played.

The participants confirmed that the main goal of the celebration arranged by the Chinese Centre – getting to know the Chinese culture and communicating with the bearers of it – was achieved as successfully as possible. Ekaterina Balashova, a 4th-year student learning Fundamental Computer Science and Information Technology, thanked the Chinese Centre and told, “During the online lectures, it was interesting to learn about features of the holiday, Chinese traditions, and even try some of them in the very Centre. I especially remembered how we were carving a snake with the hieroglyph in the jianzhi style. It's quite a difficult and industrious job, but the result is worth it! And the picture by a Chinese master on the windowsill inspired me to continue working without giving up. I also liked writing hieroglyphs in water on special paper. I was showed how to hold a brush correctly, and told about the importance of writing lines in order. Then there were two card games: riddles and proverbs. The Chinese language turned out to be expressive and full of multifaceted phrases! It was a pleasant discovery for me”.

The main and long-awaited guests were, of course, citizens of China. The Chinese trainees of the Russian Language Promotion Centre also thanked the organizers for the eventful party. Wang Chenjing and Kang Zhohao were excited to play mahjong, their favorite traditional Chinese game. Other students, Liu Yuheng and Chu Zhaohan, for example, preferred playing “Mafia”, and their friend Li Jingwen admitted that he had spent time with interest cutting out paper. Natalia Dormidontova, a Russian language teacher, complemented their words by noting that the young people appreciated the game of “Crocodile” and the whole event, without experiencing the language barrier.

This Spring Festival became an example of successful interaction between Russian and Chinese language learners, a kind of adaptation meeting for the students of the Russian Language Promotion Centre. “We know how important the New Year is for Chinese students, and it’s really hard to be away from your family and friends on this holiday”, commented Anna Berezina, Head of the Russian Language Promotion Centre. “Due to the unique opportunity provided by the Chinese Centre, the trainees of the Center were able to feel unity with their home. Moreover, the party also proved useful for Chinese language learners who were able to practice their skills with native speakers. We thank the organizers of this holiday and hope for further fruitful cooperation”.

Samara University’s Chinese Centre, in turn, would like to thank Ekaterina Yuzupkina and Anna Yudina, the 3rd and 2nd-year students in the area of Linguistics, who actively participated in the event and communicated with the Chinese trainees. This semester, Anna will personally visit the Celestial Empire within the student mobility program, and the celebration has already left the indelible impression, “The event is just fantastic, I really enjoyed everything! It was especially interesting to communicate with representatives of another culture and learn new things from them. The atmosphere was bright and matching the Chinese New Year: decorations, games, treats and gifts were great!” Ekaterina studied in China under the same program in the autumn semester and did not manage to come to Samara for local celebrations in early January, but she could get to the Chinese Centre for the New Year: “A vivid example of the famous proverb, “It’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times”. This magical party filled with the atmosphere of a real Chinese holiday, gave me a lot of new acquaintances, provided me with a great mood, and energized me for the whole coming year!”

For reference:

Samara University’s Chinese Centre was established in 2014, in collaboration with Anhui University. 10 years later, the Centre implements both additional general education programs (“Practice of Spoken and Written Chinese Language” by levels) and the professional retraining program “Teaching Chinese in the Field of Preschool, General (School) Education”. Enrollment begins before the start of each semester, in August and in January. You can receive more information and submit your application for study at the Chinese Centre by e-mail zhong@ssau.ru or via the VKontakte community.

Samara University’s Russian Language Promotion Centre help foreign citizens who do not speak Russian prepare for mastering the bachelor’s, master’s, and postgraduate programs in Russian. Students who have completed the pre-university training program and successfully passed the final exams receive the certificate of the established standard, which entitles them to continue their studies at Samara University or other universities of the Russian Federation. High-quality specialists and teachers prepare the trainees of the Centre for entrance exams, depending on the education area chosen by them. You can apply for training at the Russian Language Promotion Centre by e-mail rc@ssau.ru.

Author: Anastasia Litvinova, International Office.

Photo: Anastasia Litvinova, Natalia Dormidontova, International Office, Mengyuan Feng, a trainee at the Russian Language Promotion Centre