Shanghai invites expats to join Chinese language, cultural experience program

A specialized Chinese language and cultural experience program for foreign experts will be launched in Shanghai's Hongkou district, designed to help expats integrate into local life while promoting cultural exchange.

The six-session program, scheduled from March 16 to April 20, will be held at the Shanghai Innovation and Creative Design Institute free of charge. Each Sunday afternoon, participants will engage in practical Chinese language learning combined with hands-on cultural experiences.

Open to expats from various Shanghai universities and international businesses in the Hongkou district, the program has already attracted over 20 registrants, with a maximum capacity of 30 participants.

"The program was conceived after we noticed strong interest from foreign experts during our Chinese New Year activities," said Sheng Ming, a section chief at the Hongkou District Talent Work Bureau. "They expressed a desire for a platform to learn Chinese and connect with other expats."

The curriculum, designed to meet practical needs, covers topics including dining, shopping, transportation, festivals and traditional crafts. Zhang Yicheng, a lecturer from Shanghai International Studies University specializing in international Chinese language education, will lead the language instruction.

The program also features two special cultural workshops: traditional herbal sachet making led by Gao Qing, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor, and Chinese jewelry crafting guided by Zheng Lianbo, a fifth-generation representative inheritor of traditional gold and jade inlay jewelry-making techniques.

"We chose the venue, which is also the former site of the Lester School and Henry Lester Institute of Technical Education, deliberately," Sheng explained. "The century-old building, originally founded as a foreign engineering college, symbolizes Hongkou's legacy of international exchange."

"We hope this program will not only improve participants' language skills but also foster academic and business collaboration among international talents in Shanghai," she added.

Looking ahead, the program is planned to expand to intermediate and advanced levels, focusing more on the cultural elements of Shanghai and Hongkou district in particular.