Yunfu No 1 Primary School students receive an education in traditional culture

Principal Gui Xianyuan of the Yunfu City No 1 Primary School hopes that traditional Chinese culture can have a wider influence, especially to pupils of his school.

Gui has reasons for his eagerness to spread traditional cultural knowledge. His school, founded in 1926, has the longest history among all primary schools in the city in Guangdong province. And, with nearly 3,000 pupils, the school is also the largest in the city.

Pictures featuring Chinese traditional culture are displayed on billboards of Yunfu City No 1 Primary School in Guangdong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

He believes that fostering good moral character and behavioral habits are equally as important for the students as learning knowledge and keeping physically fit – something that traditional Chinese culture can play an important role in doing so, according to Gui.

Students of Yunfu City No 1 Primary School read books. [Photo by Zhang YuAn/chinadaily.com.cn]

In addition to encouraging pupils to read more stories about ancient famous Chinese people, such as Confucius and Mencius, the school also teaches the kids to foster good habits. These start with carrying out small good deeds such as protecting the environment and not littering and wasting water and grain. It also holds regular competitive activities to enrich the school life of the children, including painting and art performances.

Students of Yunfu City No 1 Primary School present art performance. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Students of Yunfu City No 1 Primary School learn how to play football. [Photo by Zhang YuAn/chinadaily.com.cn]

One very interesting activity involves encouraging the children to donate pictures of their smiling to the school, which will then be displayed on billboards at the entrance of the school. The activity is to tell pupils that happiness is very important to all of them.

The school has won many honors from the city and provincial governments in recent years for its outstanding performance in teaching, moral education and physical sport training.

The author is chief of China Daily Guangdong Bureau.