Chinese Youth Say|My family has lived in Thailand for 100 years and celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival every year

  She is 16 years old and is the fourth generation of Chinese descent in Thailand. The family has lived in Thailand for nearly a hundred years and her parents do not speak Chinese. However, she has an authentic Chinese name "Luo Xiuying", and her family still maintains many traditional Chinese customs;

  She learns Chinese, participates in Chinese song contests, and also thinks of China to see the Great Wall, climb Huashan, and eat Chengdu cuisine; she said: "My connection with Chinese culture has never been broken. This is inherited from my blood."

  In this issue of "Chinese Youth Talk", let us listen to Xiuying telling her growth experience and story.

The following is Luo Xiuying's narrative:

  I heard from my mother that my grandfather's father immigrated to Thailand from China, but I have never seen this great-grandfather.

My father is a pure Thai, and my mother does not speak Chinese, so the third and fourth generation Chinese families like me will speak Thai as their mother tongue, and basically do not speak Chinese anymore.

Luo Xiuying's childhood (left) and mother (right)

  Even so, my bond with Chinese culture has never been interrupted, because it is inherited from the blood.

For example, in traditional Chinese festivals such as Spring Festival, Tomb-sweeping Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, we still maintain the same habits as Chinese people, celebrating, worshiping ancestors, and sweeping tombs.

  The Spring Festival is the most important festival.

When the Lunar New Year is approaching, my family will go out a week in advance to purchase New Year's goods, such as firecrackers, New Year pictures, Spring Festival couplets, pastries, preserved fruits, fish, fruits and vegetables, etc. and the offerings needed for New Year's Eve worship.

  On New Year’s Eve, our family will get up early to bring offerings and firecrackers to the Chinese temple, praying for the safety, health and prosperity of our family in the coming year, and then return home to prepare to worship our ancestors.

Luo Xiuying worshiped his ancestors with his family during the Spring Festival when he was young

  My mother said that this is a very important ceremony, so we have to keep doing it, because it contains our deep longing for our ancestors.

  My mother also said that the Chinese nation is a nation that pays great attention to filial piety. It is both a responsibility and an obligation to worship our ancestors and take care of our parents and elders. We should pass on this point.

  There is a saying in Chinese: "Hundreds of virtues and filial piety come first".

My mother has been using her actions to infect and educate me.

Seeing that she has been doing her best to take care of grandpa and grandmother for many years, I also secretly said to myself: when I grow up, I also need to take good care of my mom and dad!

  After all the worship activities are over, mom and dad will make offerings and other ingredients into a New Year’s Eve dinner. Our whole family sits together, eating a hearty New Year’s Eve dinner, talking and laughing, and the elders in the family will also Give us red packets during the dinner (the pronunciation of "红包" in Thai is "anbao", which is similar to the pronunciation of "hóngbāo" in Chinese).

Luo Xiuying (4 from right) and his family worshiped their ancestors during the Spring Festival

  Usually, because of study and work, we rarely get together, so we all cherish this moment very much. We hope that the time can pass a bit slower and then slower, so that we can get together for a longer time.

  Early in the morning on the first day of the New Year, we would get up to wash, put on red clothes with Chinese characteristic patterns or styles, go to visit relatives, see friends, and visit each other for New Year.

Everyone will say some blessings and healthy auspicious words to each other, and the elders will give us red envelopes.

  After the New Year’s greetings, our family will go to the neighborhoods where there are more Chinese or Chinese people to watch dragon dances and lion dances. There are also various small accessories from China or with Chinese characteristics, and snacks with local Phuket characteristics nearby. .

  Although the customs of the Spring Festival have undergone several generations, great changes have also been made in the customs of the Spring Festival, but in my heart, I will always remember that I am a descendant of Yan and Huang, and the Spring Festival is always the most important festival.

  In order to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, I started to learn Chinese at the age of 11. At first, I only studied in a cram school, tutoring once a week. The name "Luo Xiuying" was chosen by the cram school teacher based on the pronunciation of my Thai name.

She told me that "Xiuying" means beautiful and smart, and I like this name very much.

First, I think this name sounds nice and sounds similar to my Thai name; second, I think the Chinese meaning of this name is very good.

  When I was taking the high school entrance examination last year, I heard that the Chinese experimental class of the Confucius Classroom at Phuket Middle School was very good. There were many Chinese courses arranged every week. There were also Chinese teachers and Thai teachers who had returned from China to teach at the same time. I applied for this exam. class.

  The Chinese teacher in the class also said that my Chinese name is very good. When I hear it, I feel like a Chinese girl, so I like this name even more.

  During Chinese class with a Chinese teacher, I found that she loves and respects her motherland, which left a deep impression on me.

Moreover, I discovered this when listening and learning to sing Chinese songs. Many Chinese songs express my love for the motherland.

  Since then, I have become more and more interested in Chinese songs, which is one of the reasons why I participated in this "Water Cube" Chinese song competition.

My final song for the finals was "I'll Wait Until the Flowers Are Thankful". When I heard this song for the first time, I was attracted by its melody.

  During the rehearsal process, I didn’t actually encounter any major problems, but during the game I suddenly became a little nervous and the pressure increased. Ranked fifth in the finals.

  For the first time to participate in the "Water Cube Cup" song contest, my parents provided company and support throughout the whole process, and all the teachers at Phuket Middle School also selflessly helped and guided me.

  My mother accompanies me to practice every day, and the teachers in the Chinese class are also busy with my competition.

Some are responsible for contacting the school’s vocal music teacher to guide me, some are responsible for assisting the school’s technical teacher to adjust the sound equipment for me, some are responsible for setting up the stage background with the art department teacher, and some are responsible for contacting the competition organizing committee to arrange My schedule matters, and others are responsible for helping me make up, choose clothes, and so on.

  From the audition to the preliminary rounds, to the Thailand regional finals, to the rematches, semi-finals and finals... Along the way, my parents and teachers have been my strong backing.

  In addition to singing, I also like reading books and painting.

In my spare time, I stay in my room by myself, reading or painting while listening to music, and I feel that time flies very quickly.

  I have not been to China yet, and I must visit China if I have the opportunity. I would love to go to Beijing, Xi'an and Chengdu.

  First of all, I want to go to Beijing.

Because Beijing is the capital of China, there are Tiananmen Square, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall.

Secondly, I want to go to Xi'an.

Xi'an is one of the most important cities in Chinese history. It is known as the "Ancient Capital of a Thousand Years". It has a very profound history and culture and has the "Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Warriors and Horses" known as one of the eight wonders of the world.

In addition, I heard from the teacher that Huashan, known as the “No.

  Finally, as a small "foodie", how can you miss Chengdu, which is full of delicious food?

I heard that the people there live very leisurely, which is very close to the "sabaisabai" lifestyle that Thais like.

  For the future, I don't have too mature plans and ideas, but in my mind, my ideal career is to work in news communication or media art and design.

I will be promoted to the third grade soon, and I will soon be faced with the problems of going to university and choosing a major. I need to listen to the suggestions of my family, teachers and friends, and seriously think about my future life direction.

  (Source of manuscript: China Overseas Chinese Network WeChat Official Account ID: qiaowangzhongguo Author/Editor: Zhang Yuqing)