NCI organises visit to China for table tennis youth delegation

Young delegates playing matches with their Chinese counterparts

19/4/2017

On 14th April, 20 students from Carlton Le Willows Academy returned to Nottingham after a two-week visit to China organised by the Nottingham Confucius Institute (NCI). The student delegation, led by Dr Jinrong Meng, Co-director of NCI and Mr Craig Weaver, Headmaster of Carlton Le Willow Academy, visited Shanghai, Ningbo and Beijing over the Easter half term holidays.

During the visit, the 12-14 year olds met Chinese secondary school students with a similar interest in table tennis. In addition to improving their table tennis skills through playing matches with their Chinese counterparts, the students also had ample opportunity to discover more about Chinese culture: they explored a number of China’s most notable historical sites and landmarks such as the Great Wall, Forbidden City and Oriental Pearl Tower; they sampled authentic Chinese cuisine; they immersed themselves in Chinese school life and learnt what it was like to be a student in China.

During their time in Ningbo, the student delegation visited the University of Nottingham Ningbo Campus (UNNC) and NCI’s Ningbo Branch, where they took part in fun-filled Mandarin language lessons and other culture-themed activities. They also visited Ningbo Jinzhou Middle School, where students enjoyed Chinese-style PE lessons and the headmasters of the two schools shared ideas on future co-operation.  

Feedback from the students and their parents is very positive, with one father writing to Dr Jinrong Meng saying: “I’d like to thank you personally, along with the Confucius Institute at Nottingham University for making this trip possible. My son and all the other students had an amazing experience - a wonderful first-hand taste of great Chinese culture…he enjoyed every single minute in China, and this experience will make a mark on his personality and perception of life in general”.  

NCI has been organising various delegation visits to China since 2015 as part of its mission to strengthen understanding between the UK and China. Through these visits, NCI is also hoping to help British young people develop a global mind-set and gain international experience and skills that will enable them to thrive in the future. Another two delegation visits have already been planned and set for later in the year.  

~ENDS~

    英国当地时间4月14日，诺丁汉大学孔子学院精心筹划主办的英国青少年乒乓球访华团结束了为期两周的访华活动，顺利圆满地回到诺丁汉。

    参加此次活动的20名少年乒乓选手全部来自Carlton Le Willows Academy (卡尔顿乐威乐学院)。此次中国行访问了上海、宁波和北京三地，在为期两周的访问中，中国的发展，中国的地理概念，中国的饮食给小队员们留下了深刻的印象，当然印象最深刻的还是中国的国球水平。（图一 从诺丁汉整装出发）

    宁波是此次访华团重点访问的城市，该团有三分之二的时间驻扎在宁波，这不仅因为作为诺丁汉姐妹城市的宁波和宁波诺丁汉大学等英国因素吸引他们，更重要的是宁波青少年乒乓球的水平也牢牢锁住他们的关注焦点，特别是在此期间专门跟宁波鄞州中学乒乓球校队进行了多个回合的乒乓技艺切磋，当然双方校长也对将来两校在其他学科项目的交流对接表现出极大的热情，队员们不仅体验了中国体育课，还学习了丰富多彩的文化技能。宁波诺丁汉大学有中国本土唯一的一所孔子学院分院，队员们的文化课就安排在这里。（图二 未来的校长来了）（图三 激烈的对抗赛后交换球衣）（图四 双方教练互训对方学员）（图五  双方队员体能比赛）（图六 乒乓高手的汉语课程）（图七 校长跟大家依依惜别）

    此次在宁波期间该团还受到宁波市青少年宫的热情接待，组织了激烈精彩的对抗赛，还请全体团员品尝了几款经典的宁波菜，让队员们津津乐道。（图八 美食的诱惑）

    上海和北京访问期间受到孔院中方合作院校复旦大学和孔子学院总部的热情款待，特别是在孔子学院总部的文化中心参观给队员们留下深刻的印象。上海的陆家嘴，北京的故宫、长城和熊猫都让队员们久久不能忘怀。（图九 校长领队Craig克雷格）（图十 英国兰乒乓球教练Chris）（图十一 长城好汉们）

    Carlton Le Willow Academy (卡尔顿乐威乐学院)是英格兰乒乓球协会下属的六所乒乓球特长学校之一，近年来该校在英格兰少年乒乓赛事中成绩突出，受到英国社会各界的瞩目，作为英格兰的乒乓球运转良好的培训基地，对中国语言和文化的需求也与日俱增，自2016年该校开设了中文课程，是诺丁汉孔子学院下设教学点之一，校方也正在积极争取成为孔院的下设孔子课堂，我们有理由期待不久的将来会在乒乓球的国际比赛中看到这群中文流利的乒乓运动员能自信地站在中国选手对面，那时才是势均力敌的比赛。