The final session of the "Experience Chinese in Hongkou" event took place on April 20 at the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai. Over 10 expats joined Zheng Lianbo, a traditional Shanghai jewelry craftsman, to learn about the history and production process of Chinese-style jewelry.

Every Sunday afternoon from March 16 to April 20, the expats gathered at the institute for an immersive journey through Chinese language and culture.

In the first session, Professor Zhang Yicheng from the School of Chinese Studies and Exchange at Shanghai International Studies University introduced the symbolic meanings of the Chinese zodiac animals.

"I was born in 1988, and my zodiac sign is the dragon," said Milad, a postdoctoral researcher from Iran at Tongji University. Having lived in China for several years, he has explored various cultural elements, including tea culture, traditional clothing, and music performances, all of which offered him fresh insights into the richness of Chinese heritage.

During the session on numbers, expats learned about the cultural significance of numbers favored by Chinese people, such as "6" symbolizing smoothness, "8" representing prosperity, and "9" denoting longevity. They also picked up trendy internet slang "666", which is used to express approval, akin to saying "great" in English.

Throughout the activities, the expats acquired practical language skills related to food, shopping, transportation, and travel, gaining a deeper understanding of Hongkou's culinary delights and cultural attractions.

They also recorded short videos to share the Chinese words and phrases they learned with an international audience, fostering cultural exchange and understanding.

Source: Official WeChat account of the publicity department of the CPC Hongkou district committee at "shhongkou"