On a lively evening at the Chinatown Community Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., dozens of Leonardtown High School students swapped textbooks for paintbrushes and clay tools. 🎨🐼
The “Touch of China in Chinatown” event—organized by Hope Chinese School, American Chinese School, and Howard Chinese School—gave teens a hands-on introduction to traditional Chinese arts. From sculpting adorable panda figures out of clay to mastering the intricate loops of Chinese knot-making, the energy was off the charts! 🤩
After shaping their pandas, students like Kinsey Albin and Lily Jiang dipped into calligraphy, gracefully brushing characters, and even tried on silk robes to snap some share-worthy pics. It was more than an arts festival; it was a mini cultural adventure. 📸👘
Albin, who has studied Chinese for four years, says her passion for the language sparked from a friend’s recommendation and blossomed into a love for cultural exchange. Meanwhile, second-year learners Drake Hozier and Evan Dearden are already plotting their future trips to China. ✈️
Leonardtown’s lead Chinese teacher, Chen Si, calls moments like these “magical.” Over her eight years teaching, she’s seen shy freshmen turn into confident seniors fluent in both language and cultural understanding. “When you experience a culture firsthand, you become more open-minded,” she explains. 🌏❤️
Whether you’re in Jakarta, Dhaka, or Manila, events like this prove that cultural bridges are built one brushstroke—and one clay panda—at a time. Who knew learning could look this fun? 🙌
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
