Over 40 teachers and students from the German Chinese Choir went on a nine-day "learning Chinese through singing" summer camp trip to Kunming and Pu'er cities in southwest China's Yunnan Province, practicing the tones and rhythms of Chinese language through music.
At the Yunnan University, the choir members learned well-known Chinese songs such as "Beautiful Jasmine Flower". With the help of teachers and Chinese students, they carefully corrected their pronunciation, repeatedly practiced tones and rhythms, and experienced the beauty of Chinese prosody through singing.
"I am very proud of all of us. We worked really hard. And it was a nice kind of get-together," said Johanna Shekari, a choir member.
"I liked very much to sing with kids and also with Chinese adults and I enjoyed it. It's a little bit sad that it's over now," said Luke Rottlingsberger, another choir member.
The camp is organized by the Chinese-Choir at the Burg in Germany, aimed at helping these young people learn Chinese and experience diverse cultures in Yunnan.
Founded in 2014, the choir aims to use music as a key to help more students discover the charm of Chinese language and culture. To date, the choir has organized 15 summer camps in China, giving more and more young Germans the opportunity to visit China and gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.
"It's a choir, it's a group of young people, and it's also a bridge between the Chinese youth and the German youth, but also between the two nations," said Zhang Yungang, founder of Chinese-Choir at the Burg.
For these young people, singing in Chinese is both challenging and enjoyable.
"For me, the most difficult part is definitely to learn the lyrics by heart. I think that the most enjoyable part is singing together with everybody. I wish I could do it every day. I really love it," said Shekari.
"I really enjoy the learning process, because every day I can get new vocabulary," said Jan Heuberg, another choir member. Outside the classroom, the students visited famous sights in the province, immersing themselves in the unique local culture and customs of Yunnan.
"I already had a good impression of China back then. I think it expanded more than just 13 years ago -- as a teenager first time so far away from home. And I just got to see that China is even more than I already knew it was and I really like it," said Josephine Martin, a choir member.
"I want to learn Chinese even more. I want also to study here in China, so maybe I could get a scholarship or something," said Heuberg.
German youth chorus hits perfect notes of cross-cultural harmony in China's Yunnan
