On September 21st, the Love Soaring Chinese School and National Taiwan Normal University jointly organized the event “Morning Culture, Taste in Reunion”, combining cultural explanations of breakfast and the making of ice skin mooncakes. The event attracted over a hundred enthusiastic participants both online and offline.
Part of the “Hello Chinese! Discover the World with Us!” series of Chinese cultural promotion activities, the event was assisted by the Overseas Community Affairs Council and the Golden Mountain Bay Area Overseas Education Center. It is part of a planned series of six events scheduled every two weeks, with this being the first session.
During the event, Associate Professor Qiu Shiwen from National Taiwan Normal University guided students through pictures and videos to learn about Taiwan’s daily eating culture, including items such as egg crepes, rice balls, fried dough sticks, soy milk, savory rice porridge, and beef noodle soup, while explaining flour selection, ingredient characteristics, and uses.
The course also integrated the learning of Chinese and English vocabulary through interactive riddles and raising hands to answer questions, allowing students to vividly experience the differences between Chinese and Western breakfast cultures.
Principal Shan Shengling expressed that the event saw active participation, with over twenty children and more than fifty adults in attendance, creating a bustling atmosphere. “Through comparing breakfast cultures and making mooncakes, we hope to let everyone experience the joy of cultural exchange,” she told Dajiyuan. This was the first public lecture jointly organized by Love Soaring and National Taiwan Normal University, with plans to introduce themes such as wedding culture in the future, and to strengthen cultural connections between the Northern California community and Taiwan by combining visits to Taiwan.
Zhuang Yashu, Director of the Golden Mountain Bay Area Overseas Education Center, mentioned in an interview with Dajiyuan that the goal of this event was to allow mainstream American community members to learn Chinese through activities. She noted that Love Soaring Chinese School had successfully established an innovative model of overseas education partnership with National Taiwan Normal University last year by launching the “TCML Fremont Municipal Special Class”.
This year, with a focus on “public promotion”, they aim to expand high-quality Taiwanese Chinese education to more community groups and continue to cultivate and develop in Northern California. “Seeing many TCML students and children participate today is beneficial for promoting Chinese language and passing on Taiwanese culture,” she said.
Fremont Councilman Shao Yang specially attended to show support, commending Love Soaring’s Chinese education for not only serving Chinese families but also benefiting children of other ethnicities, promoting diversity and exchange. Coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival, the ice skin mooncake activity not only enhanced children’s hands-on abilities but also allowed residents of different ethnicities to share in Chinese cuisine and culture.
24-year-old American youth Alexander McBride also shared his experience. He told Dajiyuan that he had been learning Chinese through various channels since high school, university, to studying abroad in Taiwan, and now works at the Tesla R&D lab in Fremont. He said, “Today’s event made me feel great, everyone was cheerful. I think learning Chinese allows me to have a deeper understanding of the culture and connect with Chinese friends.” ◇