CCTV-4 special program Belt and Road visiting the Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at University of Al Azhar Indonesia

?

On Nov. 9th, the 50th episode of Belt and Road, a 100-episode program of CCTV-4 Homeland, Dreamland, titled “Visiting the Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at University of Al Azhar Indonesia”, made its premiere. Once aired, this program has elicited strong sensations among students and teachers——the television footage showed that students majoring in various degree programs were fully concentrated in the Chinese language class, demonstrated their valiant and heroic bearing in the martial arts class and exerted their gracefulness and lightness in the dance class, revealing their deep affection towards the Chinese culture.

In July, the film crew of the program made a special trip to the Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at University of Al Azhar Indonesia to shoot scenes of Chinese language teaching and Chinese talents teaching. Speaking during his interview, President Ahmad Lubis of the University of Al Azhar Indonesia stated that along with the increase in Indonesia-China cultural exchanges and trade ties over the recent years, the Chinese language had become a popular program at universities. He believed that there was large room for cooperation between the two countries in higher education, and Indonesia needed to learn more from China in terms of innovation. At present, with an increasing number of people in Indonesia learning Chinese, Indonesia is witnessing an upsurge in Chinese language learning.

Huang Bin, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, illustrated the keenness and eagerness of local students in learning Chinese which he had experienced in person since assuming office. He stated that students’ enthusiasm in learning Chinese spurred him and his colleagues to work harder to explore new means to meet the demands of local people to learn Chinese.

The martial arts teaching

When interviewed, many Chinese volunteer teachers claimed that they hadn’t imagined such unbridled enthusiasm of local students in learning Chinese before coming to the Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at University of Al Azhar Indonesia. For instance, Wang Yanli, a graduate student at Fujian Normal University, offered a martial arts class based on her expertise in this aspect. Many students came from other places to the Confucius Institute to learn it, one of whom left home at four o’clock in the morning and took a four-hour ride by train and bus so as to learn martial arts. Despite the long and difficult travel, he has kept doing this, because to him such a golden opportunity to learn martial arts is too precious to be missed.

Students from the Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at University of Al Azhar Indonesia performing clapper talk

In the program, the students of the Confucius Institute with Ma Youli, Li Anna and Mu Han as their Chinese names told the reporter that studying at the Confucius Institute offered them opportunities to learn both the Chinese language and such traditional Chinese culture as clapper talk, Hulusi and martial arts, which enabled them to acquire a more comprehensive knowledge of China and the Chinese language. Ma Youli noted that at present, many Chinese companies had set up branches in Indonesia and learning Chinese would benefit him in securing employment opportunities. He also said that he would work harder to learn Chinese in the future so as to become a real China expert.

The Pusat Bahasa Mandarin at University of Al Azhar Indonesia has turned into a window and bridge for local people to learn the Chinese language and understand China. The Confucius Institute will continue to offer more diversified teaching and cultural activities and contribute to advancing the development of the “Belt and Road”.