50 overseas 'Chinese corners' set up in 35 countries

Children practise mandarin at a "Chinese corner" in the Confucius Institute of the State of Washington in US. [Phoot/Chinanews.com]

A total of 50 overseas "Chinese corners" have been set up in 50 libraries in 35 countries worldwide, the headquarters of China's Confucius Institute said on Tuesday.

According to China Educational Publication Import & Export Corporation, which helps establish the language study, 20 of the 35 "Chinese corners" are in countries along the "Belt and Road". Many of them have been operating for over a year.

Dr. Bao Xueming, who's in charge of the study session at Walsh Library of Seton Hall University in the United States, said they had made introductory video clips on donated Chinese books and CDs, invited Chinese language majors as corner assistants and built workshops to attract more college students to learn Chinese.

The Sibiu Library in central Romania has organized lectures and activities on Chinese culture with the help from the Confucius Institute, a library manager said.

"We can borrow books and CDs on Chinese language and culture, take Chinese lessons and practice speaking Chinese in the corner," Vasile Elena Luliana, a college student from Sibiu County, said.

The national library of the Philippines, in addition to having a "Chinese corner", opened branches of the corner in four public libraries across the country.

Zhu Hongtao, general manager of the China Educational Publication Import & Export Corporation, said "Chinese corner" has become a display window for refined Chinese textbooks and publications and a platform for foreign Chinese fans to learn and communicate.

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