The opening ceremony of the 2019 Macao Youth Roots-seeking Tour Winter Camp was held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Dec 22, gathering 40 campers and leaders from Macao Kwong Tai Middle School to begin a 10-day roots-seeking trip in the region.

The event was sponsored by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, as well as hosted by the Guangxi Overseas Chinese Federation and the Baise Overseas Chinese Federation. During the trip, participants will experience Chinese traditional culture classes, such as Chinese language, Chinese painting, martial arts, tea art, Chinese dance, and paper-cutting, as well as pay inspection visits to Nanning and Baise.

Students of Macao Kwong Tai Middle School dress in traditional clothing and write Chinese characters to experience Confucian culture in Guangxi. [Photo by Zhong Xin/chinanews.com]

Pan Weihong, vice chairman of the Guangxi Overseas Chinese Federation, said at the opening ceremony that the event will further deepen campers’ understanding of Confucian and Zhuang culture, increase their interest and confidence in learning Chinese culture, as well as bolster their appreciation of the charm of Chinese traditional culture.

Huang Huazhen, a member of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Overseas Chinese School, expressed her hope that the participants can have a better understanding of the development of the Chinese mainland and share their experiences to others when returning to Macao to build the friendship between the two places, as well as to inherit and promote Chinese culture.

"As Chinese, we need to know the foundation of Chinese culture. I hope to know more about the traditional culture and learn a lot of excellent qualities during the exchange event," said a representative from the Kwong Tai Middle School at the opening ceremony.