German KDU Chinese Choir: Use music to knock on the door of Chinese culture

　　China News Service, Chengdu, April 8, Title: German KDU Chinese Chorus: Use music to knock on the door of Chinese culture

　　China News Service reporter He Shaoqing

　　"Each Chinese character has its own characteristics. It is by no means an 'irregular shape' as beginners mistakenly think. It is interesting to learn them while singing." Busu, a member of the German KDU Chinese Chorus and a German university student Chan believes that through music, one can better master the pronunciation of Chinese. Learning Chinese well can help students better understand the deep meaning of the music and integrate their true feelings into the singing.

In early April, the German KDU Chinese Choir had an exchange in Chengdu. Photo by China News Service reporter Wang Lei

　　From the classic songs "Let's Swing the Oars" and "Slow Sound" to the pop music "My Paper Plane"... In early April, members of the German KDU Chinese Chorus and Chinese teenagers held a relaxed and happy The cultural exchange concert brought a successful conclusion to the choir’s tenth exchange in China.

　　The German KDU Chinese Choir is a non-profit public welfare organization that carries out "sing and learn Chinese" activities for German teenagers. Bu Shuchan joined the choir in 2017. This trip is the second time the German girl has come to Chengdu for exchange.

　　"Chengdu is a modern metropolis. People here are busy working and enjoying life, just like the song "Chengdu" sings." Bu Shuchan said that in a restaurant on the streets of Chengdu, the chorus partners couldn't help but They sang "Chengdu", and the Chinese people eating beside them also joined in. Everyone seemed to be part of this song, "It's really cool."

　　Different from the "freshness" in Bu Shuchan's words, the German young man Pan Haoyan said with a smile that he "returned to his second home" when he came to Chengdu. As a member of the choir, Pan Haoyan came to Sichuan University to study abroad after graduating from high school, and participated in the torch relay at the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Universiade as a representative of international students.

　　"Before coming to China to study, I thought I could speak a little Chinese, but after hearing the Sichuan dialect in Chengdu, I realized that I knew nothing about the broad Chinese language." During the conversation, Pan Haoyan was able to master the "required" "Mix and match" Sichuan dialects such as "Ba Shi" and Mandarin. In his opinion, pronunciation and writing are the most difficult aspects of learning Chinese. Merely mastering a language is not enough to fully understand the culture of a country. It is best to walk and take a look at the streets of the country in person.

　　They performed at a pop-up chorus in Shanghai, learned how to stir-fry Kung Pao chicken in Chengdu, taught English in Guilin, used music to cheer for the Beijing Winter Olympics, and participated in the recording of the theme song of the Chengdu Universiade... In the 10 years since the German Bole Chinese Chorus was founded, many members have performed in Singing Chinese songs, coming to China for exchanges, and understanding Chinese culture little by little, and forging deep friendships with Chinese teenagers. Many Chinese people have also learned more about German music, German education and German youth through the choir’s story.

　　"We are not a professional choir. It doesn't matter if your pronunciation is not accurate or if you sing out of tune. As long as you are willing to sing and learn Chinese, it's OK." Zhang Yungang, head of the German KDU Chinese Choir, said humorously that sometimes students can sing during rehearsals. Come out with "5 tunes". Some of the first batch of members of the choir are already in graduate school or working. However, no matter how busy they are with their studies and work, they will still find time to participate in the choir's rehearsals every Saturday because of their love for music. Students who live farthest away even need to Drive 140 kilometers.

　　In the past 10 years, members of the German KDU Chinese Chorus have sung dozens of Chinese songs. Among them, the most popular and most sung Chinese song is "Let's Squall", which is what the students learned after the choir was established. ’s first Chinese song.

　　"The German word for friendship is 'Everyone is sitting in the same boat'. "Let's Scull" is a song of friendship. We must work together to keep moving forward." German KDU Chinese Chorus Association Chairman Millman said that in the past 10 years, the members of the choir have connected with Chinese culture through singing. In April this year, the choir will also hold a concert in Germany to review the 10-year history of the choir in singing, and also hopes that the young people in Germany and China will Friendships can live on through singing. (over)