Eight students and two teachers from Sacred Hearts Academy in Hawaii came to study China by staying at Hwa Nan Women’s College for two weeks from 22nd October to 3rd November 2013. These students are all studying Chinese in their school in Honolulu. They took this journey of discovery to experience Chinese culture in China to bring their studies fuller meaning and vitality by having “older sisters” who were third-year Hwa Nan students. They visited historical sites in Fujian Province, learned the art of the paper-cut, and made dumplings with Hwa Nan students. Sacred Hearts students read stories to the children of Hwa Nan Alumnae and participated in class discussions.
On Oct. 30th, Sacred Hearts students had a performance named “the East meets the West” with Hwa Nan students. They sang Chinese, Hawaiian and English songs, and performed dances representative of their respective culture.
During their visiting, our guest Bob Trimble also joined us from America. They traveled to Pingtan to visit the primary school which Lydia Trimble had established on the island in 1906. Sacred Hearts students read English stories to primary school’s students and gave these books to their teachers as gifts.
This opportunity allowed Sacred Hearts students to experience Chinese culture and customs in person. Meanwhile, it was a good opportunity for Hwa Nan students to gain a better understanding of American culture beyond what they could read in their textbooks.
