Feature: For Saudi youth, learning Chinese is a crucial path to cultural understanding
On May 27, the Saudi finals of the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese proficiency competition for foreign college and secondary school students began in this coastal city, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of China-Saudi diplomatic ties and the ongoing China-Saudi Cultural Year.
For the first time, the event featured a dedicated middle school division, drawing 15 university and 15 secondary school participants from across the kingdom.
"Learning Chinese is a journey of growth, with both sweet and bitter moments," said Meshari Almutairi, a student from the KAU. "Chinese characters looked like paintings when I first started. But I kept going. I believe this 'key' will one day open the door to truly understanding China."
Among the most inspiring performances came from Ahmed Alarishi, a visually impaired university student. "I love the Tang and Han dynasties. I learn by listening to documentaries and talking with Chinese friends," he said. Using auditory tools and Pinyin, Ahmed taught himself Mandarin. "It's not that difficult. You just need time and dedication."
Alarishi's recital was followed by a performance of Baduanjin, a traditional Chinese fitness routine, which brought the audience to its feet. "Understanding a culture brings you closer to the soul," he said. "Chinese is my window to the world."
"Ahmed is one of our most dedicated students. His love for learning drives him to overcome every challenge," said his instructor Zhang Wenyi. The student spent two months preparing for the event, and he aspires to pursue his master's and doctoral studies in China, aiming for a future in academia.
The growing interest in Mandarin reflects a wider trend. Since 2023, over 100 Saudi middle schools have introduced Chinese courses.
Wang Junbao, a Chinese teacher in Riyadh with teaching experience across Africa, South Asia and Latin America, said Saudi students are increasingly fluent not just in Mandarin, but in expressing their hopes through it. "They're drawn to Chinese culture," he said. "Their curiosity is sincere."
Zhang Xinying, director of the Confucius Institute at Prince Sultan University, echoed the sentiment. "In the eyes of many Saudis, Chinese is not just a language -- it's a life skill," she said. "As China-Saudi cooperation deepens, Mandarin is becoming a strategic tool for the next generation."
For students like Saba Anwar from Al-Brayan Model School in Jeddah, the motivation is clear. "I hope to work for a Chinese company someday," she said. "I see more Chinese firms building roads, ports and factories here. Learning Chinese will help me find a good job."
Quoting a well-known Arab proverb, Wang Qimin, Chinese Consul General in Jeddah, said, "'Seek knowledge, even as far as China,' -- Saudi youth are now living that wisdom, using Chinese as a bridge to build lasting ties."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Hani Terraced Fields: A Paradise Harboring Ingenious Technology
BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire – 20 August 2025 – The year 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of China's accession to the World Heritage Convention, a milestone that highlights the country's commitment to preserving its cultural and natural treasures. Among these jewels, the Hani Terraced Fields in Yuanyang County of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, stand as a breathtaking testament to the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature. Nestled on mountain slopes with the gradient ranging from 15 to 75 degrees, the terraces cascade in stunning layers and can include as many as 3,000 steps. Over a thousand years ago, the ancestors of the Hani people migrated from the north to a valley in southern China. Despite the challenging natural environment, they made the most of the mountains and waters. The Hani people cultivated over 1 million mu (approximately 66,666.67 hectares) of rice terraces, some situated at elevations exceeding 2,000 meters, according to Ma Chongwei, a professor of Yunnan University. No matter how high the mountain, water finds its way. The Hani people constructed thousands of channels to divert streams. These channels wind through villages and terraced fields before merging with rivers in the valleys. Channel maintainers oversee the water channels, keeping them clean and ensuring proper flow. For over a thousand years, the Hani people have used water allocation tools to distribute water into a network of irrigation channels and ditches, showcasing their farming wisdom. Throughout the long agrarian era, the Hani people transformed mountains and rivers, sharing this landscape with the Yi, Dai and other Chinese ethnic groups living downhill. Deeply integrated into the ethnic culture, the terraces have now become the eternal spiritual homeland of the Hani people. In the terraces lies a harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, the agrarian wisdom attuned to natural rhythms and an enduring spirit of perseverance. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Malay Mail
8 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Hani Terraced Fields: A Paradise Harboring Ingenious Technology
BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire – 20 August 2025The year 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of China's accession to the World Heritage Convention, a milestone that highlights the country's commitment to preserving its cultural and natural treasures. Among these jewels, the Hani Terraced Fields in Yuanyang County of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, stand as a breathtaking testament to the harmonious coexistence of humanity and on mountain slopes with the gradient ranging from 15 to 75 degrees, the terraces cascade in stunning layers and can include as many as 3,000 a thousand years ago, the ancestors of the Hani people migrated from the north to a valley in southern China. Despite the challenging natural environment, they made the most of the mountains and waters. The Hani people cultivated over 1 million mu (approximately 66,666.67 hectares) of rice terraces, some situated at elevations exceeding 2,000 meters, according to Ma Chongwei, a professor of Yunnan matter how high the mountain, water finds its way. The Hani people constructed thousands of channels to divert streams. These channels wind through villages and terraced fields before merging with rivers in the maintainers oversee the water channels, keeping them clean and ensuring proper flow. For over a thousand years, the Hani people have used water allocation tools to distribute water into a network of irrigation channels and ditches, showcasing their farming the long agrarian era, the Hani people transformed mountains and rivers, sharing this landscape with the Yi, Dai and other Chinese ethnic groups living integrated into the ethnic culture, the terraces have now become the eternal spiritual homeland of the Hani the terraces lies a harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, the agrarian wisdom attuned to natural rhythms and an enduring spirit of #ChinaNewsService The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Chinese centenarian sisters, separated for decades, reunite via video, move many online
SHANGHAI: Two centenarian sisters, one in Taiwan and the other in eastern China's Jiangsu province, have been reconnected via video after losing contact for decades. The reunion came about thanks to netizens on a leading mainland social media platform and the police. The reconnection was enabled by an influencer from Henan province in central China who lives with her Taiwanese husband in Taipei. She released a video at the end of July, which has captivated mainland social media. In the video, the elder sister, Wen Sue, 101, who is the influencer's neighbour, said she hoped to find her younger sister, Wen Quanmei, aged 100. She said they had not been in contact with each other for several decades, the Modern Express reported. The elder sister, who speaks in the strong Jiangsu dialect, said she lived in Changzhou, Jiangsu, before moving to Taiwan in 1949. After the video went viral, a netizen based in Jiangsu left a comment that her mother-in-law matched the personal information given by the elder sister. Police in Changzhou set about looking for Wen Quanmei and soon confirmed that the netizen's mother-in-law is the younger sister of Wen Sue. Since the two centenarians both have poor eyesight and cannot hear clearly, direct video calls were not appropriate. However, the Changzhou police asked the younger sister to make a short video clip that was sent to the influencer in Taipei. The influencer, who uses the alias @zhongyuannvzizaitaiwan, then showed the video to the elder sister. 'Sister, we have not contacted each other for many years. I did not know if you were still alive,' the younger sister said in the video. 'How is your health? I have always missed you,' she said. According to the younger sister's son, his aunt came back to the mainland in 1989 and lived in their home for a while. But they lost touch after his home was demolished. 'I remember when she visited us in 1989, she gave us a watch, a necklace and a ring,' the son was quoted as saying. 'My mother remembers what food my aunt likes to eat and is always concerned with her health,' he added. At the beginning of August, the Taipei influencer shared a video showing the elder sister saying: 'I have finally seen my younger sister. It is fine. Thank you.' The influencer said whenever she meets the older sister on the street, she always asks her if her younger sister has called. The elder sister's children visit her once a week because her carer is a foreign worker who does not speak Chinese, said the influencer. The police in Changzhou told the media that they are liaising with the local Taiwan Affairs Office in a bid to let the two sisters meet offline. Their story has resonated on mainland social media. 'I am moved to tears when one calls the other 'Sister',' said one online observer. 'Their family has a longevity gene,' said another. - South China Morning Post
