Folk customs in BLCU foreign students’ curriculum

 

BLCU students learn how to apply Peking Opera makeup. Photo provided by BLCU

 

By Chu Meng

Applying Peking Opera makeup and doing water calligraphy on the ground are now academic options for foreign students at Beijing Language and Culture University.

Foreign students need to attend at least two classes on Beijing folk customs each semester as part of their exposure to local culture and tradition, according to an agreement signed Monday by officials from the university and the Xuanwu District Tourism Bureau.

“We invite foreigners to experience, learn and understand Beijing’s culture,” said Yin Wenzheng, vice director of the bureau. “Students from Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) are some of those who have been attracted to the richness of Chinese culture. Beijing folk customs are a very important part of this, which they can more deeply understand by attending cultural activities held by local artists.”

Yin said the capital’s millennia-old customs and traditions are what comprise “Beijing flavor.”

Stephan Anissimov, a Russian student, attended BLCU’s first folk class on waist-drum dancing held at Grandview Garden Park on Monday. The dance is a type of morning exercise often seen performed in parks around town.

“I loved it!” Stephan said. “I’ve seen it on TV and at Spring Festival fairs, but when I did the dance, I found that it actually has a lot in common with traditional Russian square dance. If I did not try it, I would never have known.”

She said she was glad she gave the experiential culture class a go despite her initial hesitation. “I did not really take to this approach at first since what I wanted was to be able to speak Chinese better. Now I’ve had a chance to make friends with the locals and experience things I’ve only read about.”

Zhang Yuanqing, an officer at BLCU’s Overseas Student Center and head of the cultural program, said the classes were an ideal supplement to classroom instruction. “We often found difficulty in teaching Chinese culture as culture is really something a person needs to experience, not something to just read or watch in the classroom,” she said.

Zhang echoed Yin’s view that old Beijing customs are a vital part of Chinese culture, and should be required learning for any student interested in China’s culture and traditions. “There is so much for our young students to experience,” she said, citing traditional festivals and folk rituals when visiting the home of friends and business associates.