Chinese Hot: Taiwan-Russia Student Exchange Conference

Learning Chinese has already become a modern trend.

Chinese Hot: Taiwan-Russia Student Exchange Conference

More and more students in the world choose to learn Chinese, and they are even more embracing Chinese culture.

At the end of November, the Taiwan Representative Office in Moscow hosted a Taiwan-Russia student exchange meeting at the Institute of Asian and African Countries at Moscow State University. Around 30 Russian students introduced their past study life in Chinese and presented their amazing photo about Taiwan.

Most students who study Chinese will choose China as their first choice. However, more and more Russian students are now studying in Taiwan. Taiwan is a bit sensitive on the international stage due to historical and political issues. Taiwanese are native speakers of Chinese and, in detail, traditional Chinese, which is quite different from simplified Chinese in mainland China. Most Chinese around the world today still use traditional Chinese as their primary language. To study ancient Chinese classics, of course, you must also be proficient in traditional Chinese. In recent years, the Taiwanese government has provided many scholarships for international students, so that attract many Russian students.

Watching Russian students introduce our hometown in proficient Chinese, I was sitting in the audience feeling strange. It turned out that in the eyes of international students, Taiwan is so beautiful and free. On the contrary, I also feel different about Russia from most “Russian friends”. People often have to wait until they leave their hometown before they understand the beauty, touch and familiarity of their hometown. Everyone said that Russian interpersonal coldness and arrogance were arrogant, but on the day of the exchange meeting, all Russian students greeted us with a enthusiastic tone, spoke a Taiwanese accent, and talked to us in Chinese, they laughed and seemed quite unreal.

Perhaps what is needed between cultures is communication and integration. With tolerance, there is always friendliness.

Text by
Yi-Wen Yang