The 2017 Overseas Chinese youth “China Roots Trip” Spring Camp sponsored by Overseas Chinese affairs office of the State Council and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government begun on April 20 in Shanghai. The theme of the 10-day spring camp is ‘the Belt and Road Initiatives’. Shanghai Open University (SOU), as a Chinese Language Education base and one of the campsites, welcomed 33 Myanmar teachers and students from CPEC. This is the first Spring Camp held by SOU after the establishment of the Overseas Chinese College of Shanghai.    

A series of Chinese culture courses, including Chinese dancing, Chinese painting, calligraphy, martial arts, and the Chinese zither have been arranged for the campers.   Field trips to attractions of the city and historical sites including the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, the bund, and Disneyland are also an important part of the Spring Camp, helping the campers feel the charm of Shanghai, and have a deeper understanding of the city’s culture. Various kinds of in-school activities have been designed for the campers as well. During the program, Zhang Jin, Vice President of SOU, and Zou Fang, Director of the Department of Propaganda of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government came to visit the campers.

“China Roots Trip” starts from 1999, is an exchange activity sponsored by Overseas Chinese affairs office of the State Council. Through the cooperation with local organizations, the program aims at cultivating overseas Chinese young people’s understanding of Chinese civilization, and stimulating their interest in learning Chinese language. Tens of thousands of overseas Chinese young people participate in the program every year.