President keen on cultural exchange with China

12 August 2011 04:30 pm - 6 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa vowed to promote youth cultural exchanges with China, and five Chinese college students will leave for Sri Lanka in September to study the Sinhala language for half a year.

"It is a little surprising that Chinese students speak Sinhala language so well, and I hope to see your Chinese kungfu performance in Sri Lanka soon," Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa told He Yan, a freshman of the Beijing Foreign Studies University, on Thursday in Beijing.

"The language study and cultural exchange would promote the friendship between two ancient civilizations," he said.
He comforted the 19-year-old whose kungfu performance was temporarily cancelled due to the president's tight tour schedule in the campus of the Beijing Foreign Studies University on Thursday morning.

The Beijing Foreign Studies University, the only university with long-term Sinhala language studies in China, gave Rajapaksa an honorary doctoral degree and invited him to be the director of the newly built Sri Lanka Academic Centre on Thursday.

Rajapaksa was invited as the chief guest at a special ceremony held at the university to mark its 70th anniversary and the university's Sinhala Language Studies Unit's 50th anniversary.

The Sinhala Language Studies Unit is part of the Asia-Africa School at the university. Seventeen languages including Sinhala are taught at the Asia-Africa school.

At present, 14 Chinese students are studying for their first degree in Sinhala language while three others are studying for a master's degree in Sinhala, said a press release by the president's media division.

Students will have facilities to study Sinhala language and culture and engage in related research activities at the Sri Lanka Academic Centre.

"It is not a difficult language for me. Sinhala language was my first choice on my application form for the national college entrance exam," Wen Jiangong, a student of the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told China Daily on Thursday.

He dressed up in a sarong, the traditional clothing of Sri Lanka, and sang a song in the Sinhala language for the president on Thursday.
"It is so exciting to perform for the president, and I hope to be a diplomat in the future," he said.

In his imagination, Sri Lanka should be a "beautiful tropical country with many fruit trees".

"I will talk about a more real Sri Lanka when I go there in September," he said.

"We enroll freshmen for Sinhala language studies every four years," Jiang Xiaoxiao, a teacher of Sinhala language of the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told China Daily on Thursday.

Rajapaksa, who is on a four-day visit to China, met with Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday afternoon.

Rajapaksa will attend the opening ceremony of the 26th Summer Universiade today in the southern city of Shenzhen.

(Source: China Daily)

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Comments - 6

Citizen Saturday, 13 August 2011 08:36 AM

Hope we will not be compelled to marry Chinese women and vice versa !

lal Saturday, 13 August 2011 08:46 AM

Excellent idea to promote cultural understanding between China and Sri Lanka. Our president should ask his Chinese counterpart to offer more scholarships (200 atleast) to our students to learn Chinese in China. Same with Russia and India.

madpatriot Saturday, 13 August 2011 10:51 AM

You missed north korea and Iran

Dinesh Saturday, 13 August 2011 04:13 PM

The entire country has been exchanged with China....There is nothing left to exchange.

China has been a sleeping giant, who is slowly rising. There will be a time that we all have to bow to China. It is slowly happening....

Calistus Jayatilleke Sunday, 14 August 2011 03:06 AM

We already have some Chinese women spreading their culture down Duplication Road and Chinese ex-criminals working on construction sites.

shelton Sunday, 14 August 2011 06:07 AM

China is a country which massacerd more than 25 million by the name of culture.The results of the cultural links between Sri Lanka only benifit to the president to grip the power with chinese approval. For the people of Sri lanka it is another port without ships.

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

President keen on cultural exchange with China

Comments - 6

Add comment

RECOMMENDED

‘Spike in blast fishing’ poses renewed threats to Sri Lanka’s marine ecosystems

UDA owned land in Thalawathugoda; UDA Minister Prasanna Ranatunga under the spotlight for forceful occupation of reserved land

Loss-making SMIB faces political pressure in recovering loans

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: MV Dali, SL authorities anchored in mystery?

Has Sri Lanka become a potential hub for the illegal wildlife trade?

Spotlight on Moragahakanda Development Project Moragolla villagers lose livelihoods and down to one meal a day

Ambitious Sri Lankan jobseekers ‘trafficked into Ukraine war zones’

Most Viewed in News

AstraZeneca admits for first time its COVID vaccine can cause rare side effect

On-arrival visa fiasco drains VFS Global’s confidence in Sri Lanka

VFS Global is here to stay for at least 12 years, says Tiran

Sri Lanka face unusual dilemma

“Ranil Ralla” : Will Wickremesinghe ride on a winning wave?

Attempt to send 17 year-old-boy to London on forged documents foiled

MIRROR CRICKET

India’s Amul to sponsor Sri Lanka team for T20 World Cup

Shakib threatens to beat up fan over clicking selfie

BCCI breaks silence after Trinidad PM reveals terror threat to T20 World Cup, report says it’s from ISIS

Sri Lanka, Scotland gear up for big final that decides Women’s T20 World Cup groups

TODAY'S HEADLINES

Father holds two children hostage for nine hours

Sri Lanka to retain existing visa fee-PMD

Sri Lankan Visa fiasco worse than bond scam: Sajith

Presidential Elections Prez to announce his stand formally in June only

India’s Amul to sponsor Sri Lanka team for T20 World Cup

Shakib threatens to beat up fan over clicking selfie

BCCI breaks silence after Trinidad PM reveals terror threat to T20 World Cup, report says it’s from ISIS

Sri Lanka, Scotland gear up for big final that decides Women’s T20 World Cup groups