On the morning of May 22, students from Lexington Public School in Lexington, under the guidance of teachers Chunwen Zheng and Julianne Black, participated in the “Taiwan Cultural Exploration Day” event at the Boston Overseas Chinese Education Center, and expressed that they gained a lot from the experience.
The event began with a warm welcome from the director of the Overseas Chinese Education Center, Pan Zhaorong. He mentioned that Taiwan is not only proud of its natural landscapes, semiconductor industry, and peaceful democratic reform policies, but also known for its multicultural society due to geographical and historical reasons. Through this event, he hoped to introduce and showcase Taiwanese villages, traditional arts, toys, and foods to everyone, hoping that they would enjoy and learn more about Taiwan.
Following this, teacher Song Yongqi introduced traditional Taiwanese temples and other cultural aspects to the students, guiding them to understand Taiwan’s religious beliefs and architectural features. Teacher Huang Zaiyu provided a detailed introduction to traditional Taiwanese cultures such as “San Tai Zi,” vividly sharing the origin and legends of San Tai Zi, which captivated the students.
Afterward, students were divided into three groups and participated in various cultural experiential activities. Some practiced Chinese calligraphy under the guidance of Teacher Song Yongqi; some enjoyed puppetry and created puppet dolls with Teacher Chen Xuanyu, while others, under the guidance of Teacher Huang Zaiyu, experienced traditional cup-and-ball game outdoors, allowing the children to feel the joy and challenge of this traditional skill through practice.
During lunchtime, Chen Xuanyu and Huang Zaiyu introduced Taiwanese pearl milk tea, explaining its production process and historical background. At the same time, teachers at the Overseas Chinese Education Center prepared a Taiwanese specialty lunch for everyone, including popcorn chicken and gua bao, allowing students not only to taste delicious Taiwanese snacks but also to further understand Taiwanese culinary culture through food.
Teacher Chunwen Zheng of Lexington Public School expressed her hope that through this event, children could gain more cultural experiences and knowledge. She mentioned that American children have relatively little exposure to Asian cultures, so she hoped that through this activity, they could have a more immersive experience. The decorations and environment around them could allow students to delve deeper into the culture for a better experience.
Another teacher, Julianne Black, leading the trip, also emphasized that learning Chinese is a challenging task for students. For the students who participated in this event, some grew up in Chinese families, while many did not. She highlighted that for students with a Chinese cultural background growing up in the U.S., this was an opportunity to experience their own culture. And for students without a Chinese background, being able to come here and experience both traditional and modern Taiwanese culture would greatly aid their motivation in the classroom. She hoped that through this activity, students could understand that learning these languages and cultures is not just for exams but to cross the bridge of language, opening the door to wonderful cultures and opportunities.