In December, YK Pao School's Primary and Middle School campuses organised a variety of exciting hands-on activities designed to deepen students' understanding of traditional Chinese culture outside the classroom.
Middle School Campus
The Ashine Public Welfare Development Center runs a project focusing on the inheritance, protection, research and dissemination of intangible cultural heritage. The activities, all instructed by expert craftsmen, included torn paper collage, shadow puppets, paper cutting art, handmade buckles, lanterns, handmade figurine, Xu Xing straw weaving, and calligraphy.
Each session started with the origin, history, current status and significance of each tradition. The activities helped students to understand how these ancient Chinese cultural traditions have evolved over thousands of years.
These hands-on courses allowed students to experience Chinese intangible cultural heritage first-hand, deepening their understanding of traditional Chinese culture. In line with one of the core tenets of the school's mission, the courses will help Pao School students to pass on Chinese cultural traditions.
Primary School Campus
At the Primary School, a workshop on craftsman spirit kicked activities off. Zhang Zongxian, an expert on carving porcelain, visited Pao School and discussed his experience in the field over the past 45 years. After the lecture, the students commented on how Mr. Zhang's dedication to his craft inspired them.
The students also took part in discussions about traditional Chinese virtues, calligraphy writing, poetry reading, scroll making and traditional Chinese games.
At Pao School, ensuring students' safety is as important as enriching their academic knowledge and cultivating their character. With that in mind, the school places great emphasis on teaching students safety awareness and related skills. Students visited the Shanghai Public Safety Training Centre for hands-on training in how to handle emergency situations. These activities included escaping from a simulated subway car fire, how to practise proper safety measures during an earthquake, how to handle other emergency situations such as evacuating a building and how to give first aid.
Pao School has long focused on whole-person education and passing on the
traditions of Chinese culture. The school hopes that hands-on activities,
combined with the study of Chinese cultural heritage, helps students to
understand the essence of China's traditions. In addition to developing the
students' emotional, social, physical, and intellectual skills - in line with Pao
School's mission for whole-person education.
