Confucius Institute brings Chinese language and culture to Vanuatu
發佈日期: 2025-08-08 19:58
TVB News
China's Ministry of Education has established more than 560 Confucius Institutes around the world.
In the island nation of Vanuatu, this initiative is taking root -- not only are students learning Chinese, some are also travelling to China each year to study.
This song is from the Cantonese opera classic "The Flower Princess" about Princess Changping of the Ming Dynasty, performed at the Confucius Institute of the University of the South Pacific in Vanuatu by a group of visiting Hong Kong students. They also performed with traditional Chinese musical instruments.
Established in 2015, the Confucius Institute now has its own classrooms and offices within the university complex.
Here, students not only learn basic Chinese in their daily lessons, they also develop a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.
Alice, a student of South Pacific University, has been studying Chinese for about a year. Now, she can both speak and write in Chinese. Her passion led her to represent Vanuatu in the "Chinese Bridge" competition, an annual global contest for foreign students on their mastery of the Chinese language.
Later this month, Alice will also travel to Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, to study Chinese medicine.
ALICE: "I learned about the food, also the language and also the culture, it benefits my understanding. I want to study medicine, but here in Vanuatu, we do not have the opportunity or universities to continue my studies, we have to go overseas. I am so fortunate to have the Chinese Government Scholarship to help me, help my dream to go study and finish my medical study in China.
Teachers at the Confucius Institute say the curriculum is tailored to each student's level and that enrolment grows steadily every year.
A teacher says last year, China and Vanuatu signed a number of education-related memorandums of understanding and they are working to reach students even at elementary education level.
The Confucius Institute is not just open to university students, on weekends, it also opens its doors to the public, allowing children and adults alike to learn Chinese and engage with the Chinese culture.
