Reported by NZ HB ETC association
Photographed by JianHai Chen
Recent years, the NZ Hubei Economic Trade Cultural Association has made efforts to
promote exchanges and cooperation between NZ and China, via private organization
and local governments, and exchanged ideas and visited each other in the cultural,
educational, tourism, and agricultural science and technology fields in Wuhan and
Enshi. With the interaction, we have achieved positive results.
In May this year, our association helped and organized the mayor delegation of
Waimakariri visited Enshi and Wuhan. The delegation has paid more attention to the
NZ China education exchange, and hope Chinese teachers and students to visit. They
are eager to let NZ children get know of the talents of Chinese children and their
comprehensive quality. Before the Wuhan education delegation arrived, the local
media forecasted the activities of the delegation and attracted the attention of the local
kiwis.
In early July, we organized 37 teachers and students to fly from hot Wuhan to the
southern hemisphere cold winter, and visited schools in Christchurch, Waimakariri and
Queenstown. The youngest student in the delegation is only younger than 9 years old,
it was one of the highlights of the cultural exchange activities of the Wuhan Education
Delegation.
On 2nd July, our association held a unique cultural exchange event at Kaiapoi High
School in Waimakariri. Mr Kevin Felstead, Deputy Mayor of in Waimakariri District,
Consul Jianjun Zai, Chinese Consulate General in Christchurch, Dr Yafei Zhou,
President of the NZ Economic Trade Cultural Association, Ms Elizabeth McMeeken,
Deputy principle and head girls of Kaiapoi High, delivered welcome speeches.
Executive deputy President Dr Gong Qin, members and representatives of our
association, local Chinese community, media representatives, Kaiapoi High School
deputy principal, teachers and students, more than 100 people attended the event.
They sincerely praise and encourage the Chinese students carrying out education and
cultural exchanges, and promote mutual understanding and friendship between
teachers and students of the two countries. The head of the Wuhan education delegation, Wu Xiaohong, and the deputy principal of Kaiapoi High School, Elizabeth McMeeken, exchanged souvenirs and expressed their desire for future cooperation. The leaders of the two sides were pleased to present the honorary certificate of “NZ and China Cultural Exchange Ambassador” to the members of the educational delegation coming from Wuhan China, then took group photos.
After the impassioned Maori kapa haka, an elegant Chinese folk songs and dances and the traditional Beijing Opera performed.
The delegation members visited the school’s teaching facilities with enthusiasm,
watched the way the students were studying, and experienced NZ learning style and
atmosphere, participated in cooking demonstrations, tasted creamy scones, then
entered the music class, and enjoying the performance of NZ students, a Chinese
student played a piano as well. Through a short visit and interactions, the teachers and
students of both sides left a deep impression and made friends.
In May this year, with the delegation of the mayor of Waimakariri district, Mrs Sarah
Saunders of Kaiapoi High School, the marketing and project manager, visited the
Enshi and Wuhan. In an interview with the media, she said during the visit, she
watched the Chinese students’ calligraphy performance, electronic video teaching and
experience the 3D anime visual film, interacting with the various teaching methods of
teachers and students, was deeply impressed! She once again thanked the NZ Hubei
Economic Trade Cultural Association for facilitating the exchange of NZ and Chinese
education, and will strive to promote exchanges and cooperation with Wuhan and
Enshi education. The local medias reported on the visit of the Mayor of Waimakariri
delegation to Enshi and Wuhan, and the cultural exchange activities of the Wuhan
Education Delegation.
From July 3rd to 5th July, the delegation visited the Breens intermediate School, Merrin
School in Christchurch, and St Joseph School in Queenstown. They were warmly
received and welcomed by hundreds of teachers and students from each school. In the
auditorium, in addition to speech by both school principals and watching the short
video introduced by each schools, the students exchanged ideas each other, made
Maori handicrafts Putiputi and Chinese papercut art. After interactions such as
conversation, practice, calligraphy demonstration and talent show, they interacted with
each other. Handmade souvenirs donated by students, even though they are not
classmates, but seems better than classmates!
The leaders of each schools met more cordially on the basis of communication prior to
meet and consensus. After the conversation face to face, it was agreed that the
establishment of a friendly school relationship would be beneficial to the long-term
exchanges between the teachers and students of the schools and the cooperation of
the project. Under the witness of the president of NZ Hubei Economic Trade Cultural
Association, the principals of two sides signed the “Letter of Intention for the Schools
Friendship”.
During the tour of NZ, the delegation visited the well-known Otago and Canterbury
University, experienced the atmosphere of the iceberg of the Antarctic life, explored the
beautiful scenery of NZ. While spreading the Chinese culture overseas, teachers and
students have also broadened their international horizons. They took home the full of
the learning experience and the love of NZ teachers and students, and look forward
to the bright future with confidence!