Running in the Dark's first literature class for visually impaired concludes in Chongqing
The first session of a Chinese literature course tailored for 21 partially sighted individuals from the Chongqing branch of Running in the Dark concluded with a closing ceremony on Sunday, during which the attendees were awarded graduation certificates.
"I am deeply thankful for the guidance of our teachers and the companionship of my fellow classmates," said 54-year-old graduate Li Chengxi. "The knowledge I've gained through this class has been invaluable, and I am committed to continuing my learning journey in the coming days."
Running in the Dark is a national nonprofit charity program that provides support to visually-impaired runners. It was founded in Shanghai in 2016 and has since expanded to 27 branches nationwide. Its activities have diversified to encompass sports such as hiking, cycling, and swimming.
"Ours is the first branch in the country to offer Chinese literature classes for the community," said Lu Wei, founder of the Chongqing branch. The class was initiated in October 2024.
Over the past eight months, three volunteer teachers and two teaching assistants provided the participants with daily learning via a WeChat group.
The course also organized seven in-person classes, including a study of the novel The Lychees of Chang'an, a spring excursion to Nanshan Mountain outside Chongqing to learn about Taoism, studying Spring Festival-themed Chinese poems from the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and traditional well-wishing Chinese couplets, and bamboo slip calligraphy.
Established in October 2022, the Chongqing branch has over 200 partially sighted members and a volunteer base of more than 400 individuals from diverse backgrounds.
"Like everyone else, they aspire to gain cultural knowledge and insight, and they are eager to learn," said Lu. "However, the majority of the branch members have much lower education levels, with some even being illiterate, as a consequence of their visual impairments, especially among those who lost their sight since childhood."
