Welcome to the UK!
—SSAT Confucius Institute’s Carmel College Confucius Classroom’sDV competition to welcome the pandas

(Video: Giant pandas and China, by Charlie Cornish and Alexander Coats)

Pandas are China’s national treasure, they also are one of the world’s most precious animals, and furthermore they are something that anyone who sees them will instantly love. In England, the history of pandas goes back over 70 years. In the Second World War, a panda named Ming (Bright) inspired the British with the courage to battle fascism. Now, Chinese giant pandas Yuanguang (Sunshine) and Tiantian (sweetie) have come to England and have made English people very excited, rushing to the zoo to see the adorable creatures. The Chinese embassy in London organised an activity for all students from primary and secondary schools, a competition to welcome the pandas. The England SSAT Confucius Institute’s Carmel College Confucius classroom exerted itself towards participated in this activity.

The Carmel College Confucius classroom, following the instructions of the embassy organised a DV competition to welcome the pandas, students each participated in it, hoping to win the prize, which is to go to the zoo for the precious opportunity for close contact with the pandas. Some participants put on Tangzhuang (Chinese clothing) and gave a close imitation of a Chinese news program; some used Chinese writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone to paint Yangguang and Tiantian; some waved the British and Chinese flags together and used Chinese to welcome to the pandas.

Now, the panda competition has been judged, Carmel College Confucius Classroom had two students named Charlie Cornish and Alexander Coats who were accepted to go to the national final. At the final there will be awarded a very special prize, which is to go with one of their parents to Beijing and Chengdu to see China and pandas up close. Carmel College Confucius Classroom’s two students will go to the Chinese embassy at London on the 23rd of February to participate in the national competition, to realise the “panda dream” in their hearts.

(Huanghuang Chen)