Build the Bridge of Communication And Sing the Song of Friendship

Maanshan of Anhui Province and Changwon of the ROK established friendship-city relations in October 1994 and have since carried out various exchanges to forge profound friendship. The most active program is the Children’s Chorus Exchange that has injected a strong vitality into the 20 years of contacts between the two cities.

In the summer 13 years ago， the Maanshan Children’s Chorus， the first group invited by its Changwon counterpart to perform in Korea， set out. As young envoys of Chinese civilization， they brought with them the outlook and friendship of the people of Maanshan while exchanging chorus-singing skills with Korean youth. They also got Korean “fathers”， “mothers”， “sisters and brothers” and had returned with countless memories of the country.

This past summer， as one of the activities in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of friendship-city relations between the two cities， the 37-member Changwon Children’s Chorus visited Maanshan from July 21 to 24. The joint performance by the two choruses of more than a hundred members in the city’s Grand Theatre on July 22 was a feast of oriental culture for both eyes and ears. Young people from the ROK in traditional Korean cloths intoxicated the audience with their beautiful singing； Chinese youngsters sang various Chinese folk songs and Western songs， allowing the audience to experience different cultures and art styles.

The Korean song Spring in My Hometown and the Chinese song Jasmine Flower sung by the joint choirs created a wonderful climax drawing warm audience applause.

During the visit， the Korean young people toured the museum， the Maanshan city planning exhibition and the Museum of Science and Technology， where they learned the history， current situation and future plan of the city. They made cakes in a factory and took them home to their host families， sharing the fruit of their labor with their Chinese “fathers” and “mothers”.

In just a few days， the young people of the two cities established deep friendship and shed tears when they had to part.

Since 2001， there have been 11 mutual exchange visits by the Children’s Choruses of the two cities， with the participation of more than 1，000 primary and secondary school students and 170 families playing hosts. Through home-stay， performance， sightseeing and various educational visits， these students got to know each other and forged deep friendship.

The Children’s Chorus Exchange Program has done much to promote the growth of the Maanshan Children’s Chorus. It started from scratch but has grown strong with commensurate increases in skill and repertoire. Today， almost every school in the city has a chorus where students get regular training. These groups send their best singers to the city chorus.

Through exchanges of experience， hard training and teachers’ guidance， as well as necessary input by government， schools and parents， the Maanshan Children’s Chorus has formed a unique style， characteristic of the culture of the region east of the Yangtze River. In 2013， the chorus visited Austria and performed in Vienna’s Golden Hall.

Good results have been achieved through interaction between members of the two Children’s Choruses. During the exchanges over the past 13 years， Maanshan and Changwon each time sent about 40 youngsters to stay with ordinary local families. Apart from joint performances， they also listen to lectures， play ball games， compete in painting and calligraphy contests， make handicraft articles， dine together， and show off their other talents， etc.

Young people love to get involved in such activities that can exert a subtle yet positive impact on their young minds. A single event can make youngsters or their parents become lifelong friends. They have become envoys of Chinese and Korean culture.

Under the careful organization of the Foreign Affairs Office of Maanshan City Government and relevant departments and personages of Changwon， the Children’s Chorus Exchange Program has thrived. It has broadened the international perspective of the educational circles and primary and secondary school students of Maanshan， promoted the overall growth of youth， sowed the seed of lasting friendship and contributed to cultural exchanges between China and the ROK.