Italian Innovation Center Chinese Heritage Youth Summer Camp Officially Opens

On the morning of July 26, the opening ceremony of the Chinese Heritage Youth Summer Camp organized by the Italian Innovation Center was held at the Shanghai People's City Practice Exhibition Hall. Eighty young Chinese heritage teenagers and children from Italy gathered here to embark on a study journey about "roots," about China, and about Sino-Italian friendship, through traditional cultural experiences and urban observation. Attendees included Ma Qing, Director of the Yangpu District Overseas Chinese Affairs Office; Song Nanhui, Chairman of the Yangpu District Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese; Liu Zhuozhuo from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Division of the Shanghai Municipal Committee; Xu Shunwu, President of the Italian Innovation Center; Li Zhengrong, Honorary President of the Milan Compatriots Association; and Wang Xiaye, representative of Huiwuzhou International Education.

Using Overseas Chinese as a Bridge: Grounding Cultural Identity in Real Experience

For overseas Chinese heritage youth, Chinese culture should not be merely words in textbooks or stories told by elders — it should be a journey they can personally approach and experience. At the opening ceremony, Director Ma Qing stated that overseas Chinese heritage youth are an important link connecting the motherland with their countries of residence, and cultural identity is the deepest and most enduring force in this connection. He hoped that campers, through close engagement with excellent traditional Chinese culture, would feel the long history of Chinese civilization, and through walking in Shanghai and Yangpu, would experience the vibrant momentum of contemporary Chinese urban development. Xu Shunwu, President of the Italian Innovation Center, delivered a welcome speech, warmly welcoming the arrival of the Chinese heritage youth.

When Traditional Culture Becomes Visible, Audible, and Participatory

The surprising moments of Sichuan opera face-changing, the lingering rhythm of poetry recitation, the enthusiastic applause during interactive Q&A... The cultural experience session that day brought traditional culture closer to the children in a more vivid and approachable way.

In the subsequent performances, the Sichuan opera performance "A Life of a Hundred Changes" ignited the scene first. Face-changing, body movements, gongs and drums, and applause intertwined, allowing campers to experience the unique charm of traditional Chinese art up close.

In the "Poetry Master" interactive session, children eagerly raised their hands and answered questions. Each line of ancient poetry was not only a response to the rhythm of Chinese but also genuine curiosity about the poetic imagery and Chinese culture.

Traditional culture is not distant. It can be a breathtaking face-changing performance or a classical poem recited in unison; it crosses language and regional boundaries amid laughter and applause, quietly becoming a vivid cultural memory in the children's hearts.

From the Exhibition Hall to the City: Packing "People's City" into Their Bags

After the ceremony, campers visited the Shanghai People's City Practice Exhibition Hall. Along the exhibition route, urban development, humanistic care, and innovative vitality were presented in scenes that could be felt and discussed. For these Chinese heritage youth who had come from afar, this was not just a visit but a window to observe Shanghai and understand contemporary China. From the stage of traditional culture to the exhibition hall of the "People's City," what the children saw was the continuation of an ancient civilization today and the vitality of Chinese cities facing the future.

This opening ceremony marked the official launch of the summer camp study activities. Using culture as a bridge and youth as a medium, the Italian Innovation Center hopes to help more European Chinese heritage youth enhance their cultural identity through walking and experiencing, and form broader, more confident expressions in the encounter between Chinese and Italian civilizations.

"Viva" means "long live" and also signifies a cheer for beautiful encounters. May this journey departing from Yangpu, Shanghai, become a precious memory for every camper in understanding China and connecting with the world; and may the mutual understanding and learning between Chinese and Italian youth continue to extend through each encounter.