Pakistanis, Chinese celebrate joys of spring

A Pakistani student presents cheongsam, a traditional Chinese women's dress also known as Qipao, during an international cultural festival at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan on March 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

An international cultural festival was held at the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad, with students performing Chinese songs and classic dances to welcome the spring season.

For Khadija Hassan, studying Chinese is about learning Chinese culture, not just reading books to understand the language.

ISLAMABAD, March 16 (Xinhua) -- At the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad, Syeda Rimsha Ali Shah and her friend Muhammad Irfan have been rehearsing a Chinese pop song to present it in front of Chinese and Pakistani audiences.

"Chinese is my major, but I found the song very difficult. The notes were hard to catch," Shah said after her performance.

The event, which was held here Monday, welcomed the spring season through performances of complex Chinese songs and classic dance by students from the university. Pakistani students also performed traditional tea ceremonies for Chinese guests.

A student performs Chinese tea art during an international cultural festival at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan on March 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

For Khadija Hassan, studying Chinese is about learning Chinese culture, not just reading books to understand the language. She started learning about Chinese culture from videos, documentaries and movies in her second semester. She wore hanfu, the traditional dress of China's Han ethnic group, to the event. It took her a lot of time to find a suitable style of the unfamiliar garment, and a lot more time practicing before she could carry it off.

Some of the audiences noticed similarities between Pakistani and Chinese cultures, including a fondness for tea, a love for vibrant colored costumes, and welcoming the spring season with joy and celebrations.

Students learn to write Chinese calligraphy during an international cultural festival at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan on March 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

"Students take a lot of interest in every Chinese event at the auditorium. The Chinese department is one of the healthiest in the university in terms of the number of students," Syed Nadir Ali, director general of the school, told Xinhua.

Pakistan and China were close friends, said Ali, explaining that it was good for ordinary Pakistanis to get a chance to know more about China through its cultural diversity.