Pakistanis witness more cultural interactions with China

ISLAMABAD-Young schoolgirls clad in colorful traditional attire danced on Chinese songs and made the shape of a heart with their props during Lunar New Year celebrations in Pakistan's capital city Islamabad.

They swirled on the odes to spring sung by Chinese artists, and were greeted with rounds of applause from the large group of audience including students, faculty members, parents and Chinese and Pakistani officials.

The Islamabad Confucius Institute in the National University of Modern Languages recently invited school children for a lantern making competition, and dozens of boys and girls performed to Chinese and Pakistani songs to celebrate Lunar New Year.

"I grew up listening to the slogans of Pakistan-China friendship, so naturally China is so close to my heart," the father of one of the performers told Xinhua.

"I got so emotional seeing my daughter performing Chinese dance. In my childhood I did not know much about Chinese culture, but I am happy that my children and kids of their generation know a lot more about Chinese culture than I did, which is a proof that the warmth in China and Pakistan's friendship is growing by the day," he said.

The number of Chinese language students is growing in Pakistan, and they enjoy learning about China and actively participate in Chinese festivals celebrations, said Ambreen Younas, general manager of department of qualification in Roots International School, which offers Chinese language courses to students from primary level.

"Language is a major tool to learn Chinese culture. Parents nowadays are very interested in teaching their kids Chinese language as they can foresee that future belongs to China and they want their kids to know more about Chinese culture and their lifestyle," Younas said.

She said while the Chinese were celebrating Spring Festival, Pakistanis were also ready to welcome the spring here with "Jashn-i-Baharan", or Spring Festival in English. "The theme of the festivals of the both countries are to welcome the colorful spring with happiness, and students of my school are playing a small part by welcoming Lunar New Year to glorify Pakistan-China friendship."

She said the school teaches Chinese language to some 9,000 students across the country, and there are many other schools in the federal capital and its sister city Rawalpindi that offer the language courses with an aim to promote cultural and social relations between China and Pakistan.

Misbah Rashid, a teacher in the National University of Modern Languages, has been teaching Chinese language for the past 39 years. Rashid, who got her degree in Chinese Language from China in 1980, told Xinhua that she has seen the China-Pakistan friendship grow and flourish over the years.

"There were many things about Chinese culture which I did not know before my stay in China, and I used to think that there will be a time when even small kids will be knowing about China and Chinese culture from their early age, and I feel myself very lucky that now I am seeing it with my very eyes," said Rashid.

Haeeb Hussain, 19, was one of the many Pakistani students learning to light and fly Chinese paper lanterns from Chinese students on the lawn of the university. Talking to Xinhua, Hussain said lighting and flying lanterns was a very interesting way of celebration, and he would also light them on his brother's wedding next month.

"It seems that Chinese have many interesting ways to celebrate their festivals, and I will love to learn them all," said Hussain.

"All I know abut Chinese is that they are our best friends, and they are bringing investment in Pakistan, but I recently found interest in their culture and I want to know more about it so I attend every function held in the university or anywhere in Islamabad by Chinese," he said.