On 13 December, Mr. Li Zhigong, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Durban, attended the opening ceremony of the 2025 Chinese Cultural Summer Camp – Durban Session.

The event was attended by Mr. Wang Bin, Director of the Shaanxi Overseas Friendship Association; Mr. Cyril Xaba, Mayor of Durban; Mr. Chen Songhua, President of the Southern Africa Chinese Language Education Promotion Association; all teachers of the Durban Session of the Chinese Cultural Summer Camp; as well as local community leaders, students and parents, with a total attendance of over 200 participants.

In his remarks, Consul General Li congratulated the successful opening of the camp. He noted that state-to-state relations rest on close people-to-people ties, and such ties are rooted in mutual understanding. The arrival of the Chinese Cultural Summer Camp in Durban and its engagement with the local Chinese community represent an important initiative to strengthen cultural identity among overseas Chinese youth and to promote people-to-people exchanges between China and South Africa. He expressed the hope that, through interactive teaching, Chinese descendants and local youth would gain deeper exposure to the essence of Chinese culture, better understand China’s development, and further enhance their appreciation of China–South Africa friendship, growing into young ambassadors for cultural exchange.

Mayor Xaba recalled his visit to China in October this year, noting that his trip to Xi’an left a profound impression. He highlighted that Durban and Xi’an had signed a letter of intent to establish a sister-city relationship. He stated that the successful hosting of this camp would further strengthen people-to-people ties between China and South Africa and promote cooperation across economic, investment and cultural fields.

The Durban Music School and participating teachers presented a series of vibrant performances, with enthusiastic interaction between performers and the audience, drawing sustained applause.

During the camp, more than ten distinguished teachers from Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an International Studies University and the Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts will deliver selected courses at Durban North Primary School, including Chinese recitation, traditional martial arts, ethnic song and dance, calligraphy and Chinese painting, and Chinese folk music, guiding local youth to experience the profound depth and vitality of Chinese culture.