“Little Diplomats in a Big World”: “Little Ambassadors” of Chaoyang District Visited the Kazakhstan Cultural Center in Beijing, Kicking Off a Youth Cross-Cultural Friendship Journey “It turns out that people from different countries can become good frien
“Little Diplomats in a Big World”: “Little Ambassadors” of Chaoyang District Visited the Kazakhstan Cultural Center in Beijing, Kicking Off a Youth Cross-Cultural Friendship Journey
“It turns out that people from different countries can become good friends. Although we come from different places, we can understand each other and learn about one another’s cultures and customs,” said Zhang Yuming, a fourth-grade student from the Beijing Elementary School Affiliated to Chaoyang Normal School. On March 21, the first event of Chaoyang’s “Little Ambassadors” series, co-hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of Chaoyang District of Beijing Municipality and the Education Committee of Chaoyang District, was held at the Kazakhstan Cultural Center in Beijing.
About 40 teachers and student representatives from the Beijing Elementary School Affiliated to Chaoyang Normal School gathered with diplomats of the Republic of Kazakhstan in China and heads of the cultural center. With culture as the bond and friendship as the bridge, they had an immersive experience of Kazakh folk customs and shared the warm friendship between China and Kazakhstan, laying a brilliant foundation for Chaoyang District’s characteristic brand of youth international exchanges. Kalamkas Duzbayeva, Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in China, Bota, Director of the Kazakhstan Cultural Center, as well as relevant officials from the Foreign Affairs Office of Chaoyang District of Beijing Municipality, the Education Committee of Chaoyang District, and the Beijing Elementary School Affiliated to Chaoyang Normal School attended the event.
At the event, Counselor Kalamkas Duzbayeva introduced the basic national conditions of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the achievements of exchanges and cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in culture, education, and other fields. Staff members from the Kazakhstan took the “Little Ambassadors” on a tour of the Kazakhstan Cultural Center in Beijing, enabling them to get a close view of traditional costumes, exquisite handicrafts, and replicas of historical documents.
The participants watched short films on Kazakhstan’s history and culture, tasted Kazakh specialty cuisine, tried on traditional ethnic costumes, listened to traditional melodies, learned traditional ethnic dances, and received personalized certificates of visit. This series of immersive experiences allowed the children to feel the allure of a foreign culture in a relaxed and joyful atmosphere, capturing the wonderful moments of cross-border friendship. Additionally, the Chinese student representatives presented songs, traditional instrumental music, and dance performances, vividly showcasing the unique charm of China’s outstanding traditional culture, conveying festive blessings and friendly sentiments, and making the event a lively and harmonious atmosphere.
During the event, Fu Yuwei, a fifth-grade student from the Beijing Elementary School Affiliated to Chaoyang Normal School, noticed that Kazakh culture and Chinese culture share both similarities and differences. “Thanks to this event, I got to experience such a rich and diverse culture without going abroad. It was a truly rewarding experience,” she said.
During the interactive exchange session, the “Little Ambassadors” passionately shared their heartfelt stories themed “Chaoyang District in My Eyes” and “My Campus Life.” with Kazakh participants. They talked about the dynamic development of Beijing, the internationalization efforts made by Chaoyang District, highlights of their campus life, and stories of friendship between Chinese and foreign people. Through vivid examples, they showcased the new outlook of the capital, Beijing, in the new era, as well as Chaoyang District’s image as an open, inclusive, culturally diverse international urban area. With the voices of teenagers, they told the stories of China, Beijing and Chaoyang well, confidently spread China’s fine traditional culture, and built a bridge for cross-cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds between China and foreign countries with their youthful energy.
A relevant official from the Beijing Elementary School Affiliated to Chaoyang Normal School stated that after the event, the school will take the lead in organizing a sharing session for reflections and insights, encouraging participating teachers and students to talk openly about their gains from the exchanges, share their experiences and observations during the event, and express their understanding and insights into Kazakh culture. This will enable non-participating students to immerse themselves in the charm of cross-cultural exchanges and expand the reach of the event.
A relevant official from the Education Committee of Chaoyang District highlighted that young people are a vital fresh force in people-to-people diplomacy and the future driving force for passing on friendly relations between China and other countries. At present, schools in Chaoyang District have established friendly relations with over 100 overseas schools as well as schools in China’s Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions. The “Little Ambassadors” event is closely aligned with the overall development of China-Kazakhstan friendship and cooperation. Leveraging Chaoyang District’s high-quality foreign-related resources, it brings international exchange classrooms directly to the front lines, enabling young people to broaden their horizons, experience diverse cultures, and nurture the spirit of friendship through immersive activities. This initiative represents an important innovation in regional international education.
According to an official from the Foreign Affairs Office of Chaoyang District of Beijing Municipality, as the core window for international exchanges in the national capital Beijing, Chaoyang District is home to nearly all foreign embassies in China. Its international sister-city partnerships cover 25 countries, 31 cities and organizations, with the density of its foreign-related resources and level of international engagement ranking top in Beijing. This event aims to respond to President Xi Jinping’s important instructions on people-to-people diplomacy that “friendship, which derives from close contact between peoples, holds the key to sound state-to-state relations.” It strives to convert Chaoyang District’s foreign-related strengths into growth dividends for young people. In the years ahead, Chaoyang District will continue to build international exchange platforms for youth, promoting mutual understanding and fostering deep friendships among young people from China and other countries through mutual learning.
This youth exchange activity not only inherits and deepens the traditional friendship between China and Kazakhstan, but also serves as an innovative practice by Chaoyang District to advance youth-oriented people-to-people diplomacy under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. It has not only broadened the international horizons of Chaoyang’s “Little Ambassadors” and boosted their cultural confidence, but also facilitated people-to-people connectivity between China and Kazakhstan through youth-oriented people-to-people diplomacy, infusing youthful vitality into the high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Moving forward, Chaoyang District will continue to leverage its advantage as a window for international exchanges to develop a Chaoyang model featuring localized international education and immersive cross-cultural experience. It will organize more young people in batches to visit foreign embassies, cultural centers and international organizations in China for international exchanges, showcase the unique charm of Chaoyang District, and contribute Chaoyang’s strength to serving the overall national opening-up drive.