Friends from Afar: French Henri Bergson High School Delegation Visits Jinan No.2HighSchool
To enhance international educational exchange and cooperation, on October 21st, Jinan No.2 HighSchoolinShandong Province warmly welcomed a delegation of 33 teachers and students from France's Henri Bergson High School.
As soon as the French guests arrived at the campus, they eagerly embarked on their tour and exchange experience. Their first stop was to participate in groups for traditional Chinese folk dances and unique psychological team-building activities.
In the dance studio, under the guidance of music teacher Li Xiaobin, the students from Jinan No.2 HighSchool, dressed in brightly colored traditional Chinese dance costumes, introduced various types of dances and cultural backgrounds to their guests before presenting a splendid showcase of ethnic dance performances: Dai minority dance, Tang Dynasty court dance, Xinjiang dance, Jiaozhou Yangkou, Haiyang Yangkou, and other traditional Chinese characteristic dances took turns to dazzle the audience. The impressive performances and unique artistic forms greatly amazed the French teachers and students, who couldn't resist capturing the moments with their smartphones.
After witnessing the beautiful dances, the French high school students were eager to try them out themselves, changing into attire for a hands-on experience of Chinese style dancing. Li Xiaobin briefly explained the basic movements of fan dance, and the Jinan No.2 HighSchool students enthusiastically guided their guests step by step, creating a joyful atmosphere filled with laughter.
On the school playground, cheers and shouts echoed continuously as Chinese and French students engaged in an exciting competition of traditional games. Dragon boat racing on dry land, tug-of-war, basketball, and other sports brought immense joy to the participating high school students, with Jinan No.2 Middle School's principal He Zhongming also present to cheer on the students.
At noon, the French guests visited Jinan No.2 HighSchool's cafeteria to taste Chinese cuisine. The cafeteria's pastry chef taught the French guests how to make traditional Chinese sweets - yuanxiao and mooncakes. Wearing caps, masks, and gloves, the French teachers and students listened carefully to the chef's explanations and earnestly participated in the creation of Chinese delicacies. During the mooncake making process, the French high school students quickly mastered the technique. They pressed the dough flat, filled it with red bean paste and egg yolk filling, sealed the edges, placed it into molds, and then firmly tapped the molds on the table. A mooncake with Jinan No.2 Middle School’s logo was thus completed, prompting the French students to celebrate with high-fives.
In the afternoon classes, the French high school students were divided into groups to join classes at Jinan No.2 HighSchool for an immersive experience in aesthetic education. Students fromJinan No.2 HighSchool prepared English speeches to introduce the excellent traditional Chinese culture and historical sites of Jinan. The rich, vibrant, and dynamic culture of the Spring City left the French teachers and students in awe.
Later, the French visitors entered the creators’baseand the aerospace classroom to personally experience Jinan No.2 HighSchool's distinctive approach to science education. Physics teacher Wu Zhen's explanation of manual rocket model assembly left a deep impression. In the creators’base information technology teacher Zhang Xu and Gao Shiyuan, along with studentinventors, detailed Jinan No.2 HighSchool's unique practices in STEM education. At the 3D printing station, the French students took photos andwatched the 3D printing process closely, fascinated by the printed outcomes they held in their hands.
Subsequently, the French guests moved to the shadow puppetry classroom where art teacher Guo Yan explained the basic principles and components of shadow puppetry. StudentsfromJinan No.2 HighSchool introduced several classic stories and characters like "The Farmer and the Snake" and "Nüwa Mends the Heavens," followed by a performance of a classic excerpt from Journey to the West titled "Zhu Bajie Carrying His Wife." The magical art of shadow puppetry piqued the interest of the French teachers and students, some excitedly started creating original shows with the puppets, others named their puppets after famous French figures, while some ventured behind the scenes to discoverthe "secrets" of the performance. Finally, many fans of shadow puppetry from Bergson High School attempted to control the puppets behind the screen, leading to a humorous and explosive mix of various characters on stage.
After the shadow puppetry "performance show," Principal He Zhongming of Jinan No. 2 HighSchool presented a gift to Bergson High School - a 2024 Paris Olympics medal made using 3D technology by the students of Jinan No. 2 HighSchool. Mr. BEAUDET Fabrice, the principal of BergsonHigh School, expressed his sincere gratitude; a calligraphy piece stating "It is a pleasure to have friends coming from afar" symbolized the successful conclusion of this educational exchange event. Additionally, Jinan No. 2 HighSchool presented the mooncakes baked by the French teachers and students as a special treat to the visiting guests, who all agreed to savor this unique delicacy carefully.
Finally, the exchange event concluded in a pleasant atmosphere. It achieved the sharing of educational resources, expanded the international perspective of teachers and students, and effectively promoted international friendship between the students of both schools. (Source/Cultural Propaganda CenterReview/Contributed by Yuan Wei Final Review/He ZhongmingTranslated by Zhang Qin)
