More than 20 foreign professionals from Shanghai's universities, research institutions, and foreign-invested enterprises gathered in Hongkou district on March 16 for the inaugural session of the "Experience Chinese in Hongkou" Chinese language learning event.

This event, organized by Hongkou district, runs from March 16 to April 20, consisting of six sessions. Zhang Yicheng from the School of Chinese Studies and Exchange at Shanghai International Studies University guided participants through essential Chinese expressions for various situations, including food and shopping, transportation and travel, as well as hobbies and sports.

During the first session, participants toured the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai, formerly the Lester School and Henry Lester Institute of Technical Education, to explore its historical significance.

Zhang then facilitated an ice-breaking activity, encouraging participants to introduce themselves and share information about their countries and professions in Chinese. Through engaging games, they practiced counting numbers up to 100 and worked on Chinese tones and retroflex sounds.

A participant from Iran, who is a postdoctoral researcher in physics at Tongji University, highlighted the importance of learning Chinese for foreigners living in China and shared his passion for Chinese history and culture.

Throughout the event, participants will also have the chance to engage with Shanghai's intangible cultural heritage by crafting traditional sachets and Chinese jewelry.

Source: Shanghai Observer