Exploring Chinese arts together, ‘Junior Cultural Ambassadors’ from 41 countries are acting as a ‘Bridge’

　　Since June 2021, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation has successfully held the “Junior Cultural Ambassadors” Event for two consecutive years despite the COVID pandemic. We are grateful for the strong support from the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Chinese Cultural Centers overseas, as well as other partners. The Event requires themed video clips shot by teenagers aged 13-16 worldwide. It aims to promote mutual understanding between Chinese and foreign youth, spread traditional Chinese culture, and facilitate exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. By keen interest and wide participation of young people around the world, the Event altogether collected 666 pieces of video clips from 48 countries over the last two years.

　　During Event 2021, with the theme of “Build a Dream for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics,” Chinese and foreign teenagers sincerely expressed their support for the Beijing Winter Olympic Games and their love for Chinese culture. The Event received nearly 100 million page views from Chinese and foreign 2379 news media. After several rounds of strict assessment, 30 participants won the title of “Junior Cultural Ambassadors”, 30 for Excellence Awards and 20 for Popularity Awards. Madam Li Bin, Vice-Chairperson of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Chairperson of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, attended the Award Ceremony of Event 2021 and presented the award to the representatives of the title winners.

　　Themed with “Get Connected Through Art: My Favorite Chinese Arts”, Event 2022 witnessed Chinese and foreign teenagers playing traditional Chinese musical instruments, reciting ancient Chinese poems, displaying what they have learned from Chinese calligraphy, painting and Chinese Kung Fu. Promotional videos “My Story with Chinese Arts” drew 27.5 million viewers across all media platforms. Shortlisted works on display hit 23.79 million views, with the number of votes via WeChat reaching 8.1 million. After several rounds of strict assessment, 30 participants won the title of “Junior Cultural Ambassadors”, 30 for Nomination Awards, and 16 for Netizen Popularity Awards, as well as 22 partners for Excellent Organization Awards.

　　Thanks to the endeavour over the past two years, the “Junior Cultural Ambassadors” Event has beconme more popular, with the number of participants steadily increasing and social influence widely spreading. In the future, more young people from home and abroad are welcome to participate in the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation “Junior Cultural Ambassadors” Event and give full play to their role as “Bridge of Friendship, Ambassadors of Culture”, so as to make our own contribution to better understanding through exchanges and mutual learning.