Mandarin Chinese is the highest-spoken language in the world, and understanding Chinese culture requires a substantial amount of learning.
People usually think Chinese is difficult to learn and speak, but an initiative in Kolkata is working towards removing that misconception.
The first Confucius classroom in India, set up in Kolkata, and inaugurated by the Consul General of China in Kolkata, Ma Zhanwu, is a joint venture between the Yunnan Normal University of China and a Kolkata-based private institute. Besides language training, this institute shall also offer dance and martial arts instructions.
“The initiative aims at adding a micro-drop of understanding to the ocean of friendship, which lies between the people of India and China through language and understanding,” Mr Ma Zhanwu told The Asian Age.
You may also like: #Travel Tales: Inside Mumbai’s Only Chinese Shrine, the Beautiful Kwan Kung Temple
Confucius is a way of life, according to Charishma Saraff, the principal of The School of Chinese Language in Kolkata, who mentioned that the school would teach culture, literature, geography and other aspects of life in China.
The school is part of an initiative taken by Beijing, to promote Confucius institutes across the world, aiming to strengthen cultural diplomacy.