Winter Camp, Exploring the Chinese Culture and Have Fun with Snow

At the end of 2018, nine CHIS high school students, a CHIS middle school student, and Ms. Tang Ying Min as a chaperone, participated in the 2018 winter camp activities held by Chong Qing Three Gorges Institute, China. The camp lasted for 12 days starting from (20/12) until (31/12).

In the 2018 winter camp, participants studied at the Chong Qing Three Gorges Institute, together with local students. There, participants were taught various aspects of Chinese culture, such as Maobi, Wushu, and Sichuan opera. Not only that, participants were also taught local dances, local songs, local painting techniques, and even to play Chinese instruments, namely the Guzheng, also known as the Kecapi. More interestingly, winter camp participants were invited to make various famous Chinese dishes such as dumplings, and were introduced to various types of local tea used in certain ceremonies. In addition to studying Chinese traditional culture, participants also received floriculture classes to learn how to arrange flowers with minimal materials. Winter camp participants also visited some ‘must visit places’ in Chong Qing, such as Ping Lake Nightview, Zhang Fei Temple, the Golden Buddha Mountain, Wan Zhou, Baidi City, and also Chong Qing’s city center to learn about various Chinese traditions.

One of the winter camp participants, Nadia Virania (XII IPA I), said that this winter camp was really fun even though it was very tiring. "My impression was good, it is cool to go there, but yes, you must be strong if you go there because Chong Qing is a mountainous area, you have to climb there."

Many think that winter camp is held only as a way to fill vacation time but in fact, winter camp can improve participants’ Mandarin language skills, encourage independence, and give participants' insight into the unique Chinese culture. "There, we get to learn new things too, wushu, harp, traditional dancing, and also learnt about tea as well as decorating flowers," she said.