Arctic Circle warms to Chinese culture with language lessons

HELSINKI, Finland - At the beginning of every Chinese class, Meri Rokkonen and her Finnish classmates would rise to greet the teacher, an oriental courtesy unfamiliar to a Western classroom.

"It is beautiful and elegant," said Meri, a Lapland University student in her 20s. She said the atmosphere would last until the end of the class and gave her an overwhelming sense of joy.

The teacher, Ma Yujing, wanted her students to perform the ritual to understand the Chinese tradition of honoring the teacher and respecting the truth.