Students experience Chinese calligraphy during a celebration to mark the International Chinese Language Day in Suva, Fiji, April 15, 2025. The event was held on Tuesday at Yat Sen Secondary School in Suva, treating attendees to a diverse array of performances, including music, dances, poetry reading and Chinese waist drum performance. (Photo by Gao Xin/Xinhua)

by Guo Xinhui

SUVA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- "I love learning Chinese, because it is the language of the future," said Jope Rokotuibau, a Fijian student who was participating in a vibrant celebration to mark the International Chinese Language Day.

The event was held on Tuesday at Yat Sen Secondary School in Suva, treating attendees to a diverse array of performances, including music, dances, poetry reading and Chinese waist drum performance.

It also offered an immersive cultural experience that highlighted the richness of the Chinese language and its cultural heritage through calligraphy, tea ceremony, paper cutting, Chinese chess, and pot throwing.

Rokotuibau learned to write down a Chinese character with a writing brush. "Chinese is tough. But it feels so cool to learn it well," he said.

Miyuni Wanninayake, who just finished a paper-cutting work, said her love of the Chinese language was inspired and motivated by her Chinese teacher.

Chinese is more than just a language, said Sikivou, principal of Yat Sen Secondary School, "it is a living thread that weaves through 5,000 years of history, art, philosophy, science and literature. It is the voice of poets like Li Bai and Du Fu, the wisdom of Confucius and Laozi, and the rhythm of billions of conversations every day across continents."

School Board Chairman Warren Yee encouraged students to learn Chinese language, saying that as one of the most spoken languages in the world, "Chinese is everywhere -- tech giants like Huawei and TikTok, AI with Deepseek the breakthrough Chinese chatbot, global trade, solar technology leader and your favourite take-out noodles..."

"It would be a great plus in your resume for future job applications," he told students.

Impressed by enthusiasm of Fijian teachers and students for the Chinese language, Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Zhou Jian said in order to enable more Fijian youth to experience Chinese culture, the embassy will invite students from Yat Sen to a summer camp in China this year, which marks the 170th anniversary of the arrival of Chinese in Fiji and the 50th anniversary of China-Fiji diplomatic relations.

Rokotuibau and Wanninayake said they were looking forward to the summer camp. ■

Students experience paper folding during a celebration to mark the International Chinese Language Day in Suva, Fiji, April 15, 2025. The event was held on Tuesday at Yat Sen Secondary School in Suva, treating attendees to a diverse array of performances, including music, dances, poetry reading and Chinese waist drum performance.

It also offered an immersive cultural experience that highlighted the richness of the Chinese language and its cultural heritage through calligraphy, tea ceremony, paper cutting, Chinese chess, and pot throwing. (Photo by Xie Di/Xinhua)