BEIJING, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from
People's Daily
The Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school was established in
Budapest, capital of Hungary, in September
2004. It is the first full-time public school in Central and
Eastern Europe that uses Chinese
and the local language for instruction. Over the past nearly 20
years, the school has played a unique role in promoting cultural
exchanges between China and
Hungary over the past two
decades.
In early 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping replied to a letter
from the students of the school, encouraging the Hungarian youths
to learn more about China and
become envoys of the China-Hungary
friendship.
When the school was just founded, it had around 100 students,
and now the figure has surged to more than 500. More and more
Hungarian students are embracing the Chinese language and culture,
and many of them have been admitted to Chinese universities.
"Our goal is to nurture a batch of 'builders of Hungary-China
friendship,'" said Zsuzsanna
Erdelyi, principal of Hungarian-Chinese bilingual
school.
She told People's Daily that apart from local students, the
school also enrolls those from China, so that students from the two countries
can learn and play together, which not only helps improve their
academic performance, but also fosters profound friendship between
them.
When a class was over, eleventh-grade students Sanyi and Li Fulin started playing Chinese chess
in a corridor. Sanyi once lived in China with his father. He was sent to the
bilingual school by his parents after they saw the prospering
development of China and the huge
potential of Hungary-China cooperation.
"It was so difficult for me to learn Chinese as a beginner,"
Sanyi said. However, as he gained more and more Chinese friends, he
has gradually developed a passion in speaking Chinese.
"Last year I had a study tour to China, during which I visited Nanjing University. I like it very much and
hope I can be admitted to the university one day," Sanyi told
People's Daily.
To create a better learning atmosphere for the students, the
Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school holds rich and splendid cultural
activities that invite parents and all sectors of Hungarian
society.
For instance, it has opened a Chinese language class for parents
and hosts "Chinese open days" during traditional Chinese holidays,
to encourage students and their parents to join fun cultural
activities such as Chinese tea brewing, paper cutting and lantern
making.
Erdelyi said the Chinese culture is charming and joining
these activities offers so much fun.
Papp Nora and Papp Dora are a pair of twins who have been
learning at the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual school since they were
very young. The two eighth-grade students consider the school their
second home.
"The teachers always help me with patience and answer my
questions," Papp Dora said, adding
that Chinese is a very beautiful language. According to her, she
likes Chinese calligraphy while her sister loves traditional
Chinese costumes. The two practice Chinese together every day.
Educated by the school, the twins have developed carefulness,
diligence and resilience, which are all important qualities in any
stage of life, said Trippon Mariann, mother of the twins, and chief
economist of a Hungarian bank. She's very optimistic about the
potential of the Chinese economy, and believes that learning
Chinese would gain her children more advantages for their future
development.
Li Elizabet Fanni studies at
Fudan University, Shanghai. She is
one of the earliest students of the Hungarian-Chinese bilingual
school to study in China.
Recently, she served the China Import and Export Fair, also known
as the Canton Fair, as a volunteer, offering services for Chinese
and Hungarian enterprises.
"I hope more young Hungarians can visit China and see with their own eyes the
development of the country," she said, adding that she and other
students will work to contribute to and carry on the Hungary-China
friendship.
After nearly 20 years of development, the Hungarian-Chinese
bilingual school has become an important witness to the bilateral
relations between Hungary and
China, Erdelyi said, adding that
Xi's first-ever state visit to Hungary will bring huge encouragement and
inspiration to students of the school.
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