Part V of “Friendship Blooms in Beijing” Home for International Friends Series
On May 29, the International Children’s Recitation of Chinese Poetry was held in Beijing to celebrate International Children’s Day on June 1. The event was co-hosted by the BPAFFC and the Chaoyang District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and jointly organized by the district’s Foreign Affairs Office and Education Commission. Children from Beijing Chaoyang Fangcaodi International School, Canadian International School of Beijing, AISB-Hope International, Western Academy of Beijing, and Harrow International School Beijing were gathered to celebrate International Children’s Day through the recitation of classic Chinese poetry. This helped them better understand China and embrace life in Beijing.
Wang Yu, Party Secretary and Executive Vice President of the BPAFFC, delivered a speech at the event, extending greetings to the children from various countries. He hoped that the children would become “little ambassadors” of Chinese culture, sharing with their peers the universal emotional resonance embedded in Chinese poetry and inspiring more people to get to know China through poems. He also expected that the children would serve as “torchbearers” of friendship between the Chinese people and peoples around the world, carrying forward the vision of peace and shared beauty for all, and sowing the seeds of amity among nations; and that they would grow into “builders” of a brighter future, honing their skills and expanding their horizons through learning, so as to contribute to building an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity.
A total of 123 children from 41 countries performed 14 poem recitation programs. With their tender yet heartfelt performances, they led the audience to appreciate the beauty of Chinese poetry and demonstrated strong interest and deep emotional resonance.
In the “Childhood in Poetry” chapter, children recited classic introductory poems including Ode to the Goose, Spring Dawn, Ode to the Willow, Old Song of the Bright Moon, and On the Love of the Lotus. With their innocent voices and childlike charm, they brought to life the beauty of childhood. In the “Four Seasons in Poetry” chapter, recitations of Happy Rain on a Spring Night, Leaving Jingci Temple at Dawn to See Lin Zifang Off, Chinese New Year’s Day, and Song of the 24 Solar Terms guided the audience through the changing landscapes of the four seasons and the timeless wisdom embedded in ancient daily life. In the final chapter “China in Poetry,” the children performed By the Water, Song of the Chile Plains, Chang’an Will Be with Us as Long as Poetry Exists, and Silk Road Dunhuang, presenting the historical landscape and profound heritage of Chinese culture through diverse forms including dance, situational drama, and song.
Using classic poetry as a bridge, this event enabled young international participants to connect with fine traditional Chinese culture through recitation. It offered them a window into Eastern aesthetics and philosophy and allowed them to experience firsthand the emotional depth of the Chinese people and their pursuit of a better life, creating warm and unforgettable memories on International Children’s Day.
Wu Bing, Vice President of the BPAFFC, and Pan Zejun, Deputy District Mayor of Chaoyang District, attended the event and presented commemorative certificates to the student representatives from the five international schools.
“Friendship Blooms in Beijing” Home for International Friends Series
The “Friendship Blooms in Beijing” Home for International Friends Series, launched by the BPAFFC in 2026, is part of its endeavor to build “four bridges” for people-to-people exchanges, pragmatic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and youth friendship between China and other countries. The goal is to contribute to building Beijing into a city of timeless charm that warmly welcomes visitors from all over the world.
