Events show unique charm of Chinese language

To celebrate the upcoming 2025 International Chinese Language Day, which falls on Sunday, Chinese language learners, enthusiasts of Chinese culture, international Chinese educators and diplomats in China gathered in Beijing on Friday to celebrate the special day dedicated to demonstrating the unique charm of the Chinese language.

The launch ceremony of the day, themed "Chinese Language: A Gift Across Time and Space" this year, was held at Beijing Foreign Studies University. It featured a variety of rich cultural events, including exhibitions of Chinese calligraphy works and digital art, lectures on Chinese films and sci-fi novels, and demonstrations of traditional Chinese dress. Hundreds of foreign students studying Chinese in China participated in the event.

The International Chinese Language Day was established in 2020 by the Ministry of Education's Center for Language Education and Cooperation and ChinesePlus — an organization dedicated to the study and teaching of Chinese language and literature. Over the past five years, more than 1,000 organizations in over 160 countries have organized more than 5,000 activities to celebrate the event.

Do Thanh Van, head of the Confucius Institute at Hanoi University, said via video that Chinese is more than just a means of communication. It's a bridge that connects cultures, allows history to speak to the present and helps China and the world understand each other better.

"In Vietnam, Chinese language education is becoming a bridge of linguistic exchange. From a simple ' ni hao' (hello) to sharing their hopes and dreams, countless students are opening doors to Chinese civilization. And also, through Chinese, the beauty of our Vietnamese ao dai (a traditional Vietnamese garment) and the charm of our water puppetry can be shared with friends in China. Language shrinks distances and helps cultures thrive through interaction."

Around the 2025 International Chinese Language Day, hundreds of institutions, including Chinese embassies and consulates in various countries, Confucius Institutes, as well as Chinese and foreign universities, have hosted — or are expected to host — thousands of activities.

On Tuesday, the Confucius Institute in Vietnam held a series of Chinese cultural experience activities for Chinese language fans, including calligraphy, paper cutting, Chinese knot making and face painting, which attracted many participants.

Vinh Bun Eang, assistant to Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport of Cambodia, said that in Cambodia, Chinese is becoming a very popular foreign language. It's not only a practical tool for expanding personal development opportunities, but also an important window for appreciating Chinese culture and arts, exploring China's rich history and wisdom and experiencing China's modern creative industries.

"I believe that as the Chinese language continues to spread widely in Cambodia, the friendship between the two nations will grow even stronger, and together we will build an even closer Cambodia-China community with a shared future," he said.

Artem Vlasovskiy from Russia has learned Chinese for 11 years and he is pursuing a PhD in intercultural studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University. Vlasovskiy said he has read lots of Chinese classic works in literature and philosophy and found that the way Chinese people handle things has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years. "Language is the foundation for mutual understanding. By learning Chinese, I can better understand all aspects of your culture and life," said the 29-year-old.

Sunday, or April 20, also marks this year's United Nations Chinese Language Day. In 2010, the UN established Chinese Language Day, as one of the special days for its six official languages. Since 2011, guyu — one of the sixth of the 24 solar terms of the traditional Chinese calendar that starts around April 20 — has been chosen as the date for UN Chinese Language Day to pay tribute to Cang Jie, a mythical figure who is said to have invented Chinese characters 5,000 years ago, according to the UN website.

A number of activities were held at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Language Day.

On Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian congratulated the UN on the 2025 Chinese Language Day and expressed his delight at seeing more and more people learning Chinese.

"The Chinese language is a vehicle that traverses history and is a bridge to the future. We look forward to more people using Chinese as a bridge to understand China and the world. We are also willing to work with all countries to use dialogue to overcome opposition," he said at a regular news conference in Beijing.

Wang Dinghua, chairman of the university council of Beijing Foreign Studies University, said: "The Chinese language carries the wisdom of thousands of years of Chinese civilization. It transcends the river of history … as well as China and the world. It is a cultural treasure that China offers to the world." Wang said that language education plays an increasingly important role in promoting cultural exchange and friendship.

He called on language education partners around the world to strengthen cooperation and continue contributing to the exchange and mutual learning among different civilizations.

dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn