Chinese Language is one of the six official languages of the United Nations which has designated Chinese Language Day on Grain Rain, one of the 24 solar terms in China, to commemorate the contribution of Cangjie, the creator of Chinese characters.

April 20^th, 2023 remarks the 14th Chinese Language Day of the United Nations and the 4th International Chinese Language Day. Sponsored by Center for Language Education and Cooperation(CLEC) of the Ministry of Education of China and ChinesePlus, South China Agricultural University (SCAU) held a series of activities to celebrate.

Telling the Story of China and Promoting Dialogue among Civilizations

Vice-President Deng Yiqun of SCAU, Qian Hongjie, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, Consuls General of Iran, Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, Acting Consuls General of Uruguay and Venezuela, administrative officials of the Consulate General of Cuba in Guangzhou, and representatives of teachers and students of SCAU, South China Normal University, Ji’nan University and Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering participated in the celebration on the spot. It was also broadcast live to the member universities of the China-Latin America Agricultural Education and Research Innovation Alliance(CLAERIA) via ZOOM.

Vice-President Deng Yiqun of SCAU

Language bridges over exchanges and mutual learning among human civilizations. I hope that Chinese learners, including international students, will be ambassadors of Sino-foreign friendship and witnesses of China's development, and jointly tell Chinese stories well , said Deng Yiqun, adding that in recent years, SCAU led the initiative of CLAERIA and established the first global Chinese and Agricultural Science and Education Development Centers to promote mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

Qian Hongjie, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province

Qian Hongjie said that Chinese characters are treasure of the Chinese nation and the world, and Guangdong is the birthplace of Lingnan culture.  It is hoped that international students can tell wonderful and true Chinese stories to the world while learning Chinese, enhance dialogue among civilizations, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind!

Hernan Vargas, Consul General of Colombia in Guangzhou

Hernan Vargas, Consul General of Colombia in Guangzhou, spoke highly of the theme Chinese: Facilitating Dialogues across Civilizations, and pointed out that it is of great significance to enhance friendly exchanges between countries and strengthen exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations for the current world. He also said that language is the common wealth of mankind, and people of all countries have the responsibility to protect and inherit language, culture and history.

Facundo Simon, Acting Consul General of Uruguay in Guangzhou

Facundo Simon, Acting Consul General of Uruguay in Guangzhou, said in his speech that language is the carrier of culture, an important part of human life, and a bridge for countries to enhance understanding and dialogue among civilizations. It is hoped that relevant units and organizations in Uruguay and China will continue to enhance understanding and deepen cooperation including cultural exchanges through language and cultural exchange platforms such as the Confucius Institute.

Hossein Davishi, Consul General of Iran

Hossein Davishi, Consul General of Iran in Guangzhou, said that Chinese and Chinese characters are of great significance to a deeper understanding of China. China in the new era is embracing the world with a more open attitude, in which Chinese language plays an important role. Both Iran and China have a splendid civilization and history, and we believe that in the future, the two countries can carry out in-depth cooperation in various fields, especially culture and science, to better benefit the two peoples.

Caroline Pereira de Oliveira，Chinese + Agricultural Science and Education Development Center of UFMT

Caroline Pereira de Oliveira, Director of the Chinese + Agricultural Science and Education Development Center of the Federal University of Mato Grosso (UFMT) in Brazil, mentioned in her congratulatory video speech that the Chinese language contains a rich Chinese cultural history. The Chinese and Agricultural Science and Education Development Center by UFMT and SCAU is a milestone for promoting Chinese language and culture in Brazil.

Moreira Vergara Nelly Fanny, Director of Si Miao Wei Hua International School in Ecuador

Moreira Vergara Nelly Fanny, Director of Si Miao Wei Hua International School in Ecuador, praised highly the Chinese people for their hard work and great development achievements. We hope to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with SCAU, promote Chinese culture in Ecuador, and cultivate talents for the bilateral friendly exchanges.

Expand international exchanges and cooperation to promote high-quality development

What are the characteristics of Chinese farming  civilization? What are the festivals associated with Grain Rain? Professor He Fangyao from College of Humanities and Law of SCAU gave a lecture on Grain Rain and Chinese Farming Culture. The guests and audience also enjoyed the gong and drum performance Rolling Walnuts, the Tea performance Lingnan Tea Art , the martial arts performance, the poem recitation, the folk band performance, the ancient poetry chorus and other programs with Chinese traditional culture characteristics. Students from Si Miao Wei Hua International School in Ecuador brought dance performances, and teachers and students from the Federal University of Mato Grosso in Brazil also presented wonderful orchestral and dance performances virtually.

On April 22, SCAU held International Chinese Language Day cultural experience salon, including Rural Beauty and Twenty-four Solar Terms theme-exhibitions of calligraphy and painting. Nearly 100 international students from SCAU, Ji’nan university, South China Normal University and Si Miao Wei Hua International School experienced arts of flower-pressing, tea, calligraphy, folk music and other traditional Chinese culture etc.

 Located in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, SCAU, which seizes the opportunity of the national 'Double First-Class' university, will deepen the exchanges and cooperation in language teaching, cultural heritage, agricultural education, scientific research, skills training, etc., to boost its high-quality development  and the internationalization of agriculture in Guangdong Province, said Chen Letian, Director of Office of International Relations, SCAU.

This is the first time that SCAU & CLAERIA held the Celebration of “International Chinese Language Day” with the support of CLEC and ChinesePlus with great success.