On March 26, the Confucius Institute at the University of Kelaniya was invited to participate in the “Dragon’s Path: Chinese Sports Challenge”, hosted by Bandaranayake School in Gampaha, Sri Lanka. The school's Chinese language teacher, Ms. Lakni Kariyawasam, is a graduate of the University of Kelaniya. Two lecturers at the Confucius Institute, Assoc. Prof. Sun Cuibi and Ms. Wang Lin participated in the event. Ms. Lakni stated that the purpose of this event was to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of the Chinese Language Association at Bandaranayake College in Gampaha. It was considered an important opportunity to honor the growth and dedication of the Association. More than just a commemoration, it served as a platform to actively promote the richness of the Chinese language and culture. By incorporating engaging activities such as traditional Chinese sports and games, the event aimed to strengthen the club, develop skills, and provide a fun and memorable experience for all participants.
The challenge included various events, such as shuttlecock kicking, badminton, peanut picking with chopsticks, water polo passing, and other ball games. Teacher Lakni Kariyawasam mentioned that all the competition events were designed to enhance students' understanding and interest in Chinese culture.
Shuttlecock kicking is a Chinese cultural activity loved by both teachers and students. Teachers Sun Cuibi and Wang Lin took full advantage of this unique Chinese scene; one demonstrated shuttlecock kicking while the other provided on-the-spot Chinese instruction, leading the students in counting in Chinese, which sparked their enthusiastic participation. The peanut-picking competition with chopsticks was particularly exciting. The two teachers from the Confucius Institute patiently and carefully explained to the students how to use chopsticks. The participating students focused intently, with some of them mastering the use of chopsticks quite well.
The entire challenge was infused with Chinese elements and Sri Lankan sentiment, creating a lively atmosphere with strong interactivity, which significantly boosted the students' enthusiasm for learning Chinese and Chinese culture.
After the event, we observed that more students gained an understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture through direct exposure to traditional sports and activities. Students had the opportunity to practice their Chinese language skills in a practical setting while interacting with Chinese teachers. Our members developed better teamwork skills and learned new techniques in traditional Chinese sports.
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