On the afternoon of March 19, a team of students from the 2022 cohort of the Chinese Culture and Global Communication (CCGC) program visited Bo’ai (Caritas) Primary School in Zhongshan. They conducted a poetry workshop for 112 sixth-graders across three classes, themed “Poetry Blossoms in Spring.” As the course instructor of “Special Topics in Communication and Chinese Culture,” Dr. Jianing Chen participated and audited the event.

The session was led by speakers Xie Yuchen and Li Yushan, with teaching assistants Sun Yuhong and Chen Feiyu. Class recording was done by Chen Haidong and Ai Wenqing, while Chen Feiyu was also responsible for photography. The lesson centered on two poems by Du Fu and Yu Xiuhua, introducing students to the timeless beauty of spring in classical and modern poetry.

During the 40-minute workshop, the student audience engaged in reading, analysis, and discussion, exploring the emotions and imagery embedded in the poems. The session concluded with a creative writing activity, where the children composed their poems, channeling their newfound appreciation for poetry. These works will be compiled into a poetry collection, accompanied by comments and classroom photos, and gifted to the school as a keepsake.

This enriching event was made possible through Dr. Jianing Chen's communication and the hospitality of Bo’ai Primary School in Zhongshan, as well as the support of “Traditional Culture Communication in the GBA,” the Sub-project of Guangdong Provincial “RMS” project “Study on the Communication of Cultural Symbols in GBA,” "Branding the Greater Bay Area" Research Centre, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Poetry is more than an art form—it is a bridge between emotions and words. We hope this experience has planted a love for literature in the hearts of these young minds, letting the spring breeze carry their poetic dreams forward.

Reporter: XIE Yuchen

Photographer: CHEN Feiyu

Edited by Jianing CHEN