The Halo Foundation donated $30,000 to the Confucius Institute of Antigua and Barbuda’s (CIAB) Chinese Bridge Summer School to assist in the facilitation of a cultural visit to China by Antiguans and Barbudans.
The two-week expedition was structured around three main learning components: Chinese language classes (which concluded with an international standard beginners’ examination), performance training and site visits.
Principal of CIAB , Mr. Han Wen explained, “Participants engaged in a diverse range of traditional Chinese cultural activities, including lion dancing, vocal music and dance classes, tea ceremonies, kite painting, lacquer fan making, sachet sewing, woodblock printing, rubbing, facial painting, shuttlecock kicking, and Hanfu try-on. “
He said, “They also toured West Lake and visited Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Liangzhu Museum, the China National Archives of Publications and Culture and Hefang Street, gaining exposure to both ancient Chinese civilization and contemporary urban culture. The participants transformed from ‘Hearing about China’ to ‘Seeing China.’ Through site visits in Hangzhou, they witnessed a real, modern, and vibrant China with their own eyes — correcting previously vague or inaccurate perceptions and building a more objective and three-dimensional understanding of the country.”
At the end of the program, participants shared their reflections on the China Bridge experience. One participant wrote: “It was really nice meeting all of you and getting this opportunity—it has helped me a lot with my social skills and interacting with new people. This was an amazing journey that I do hope we can take again next year!”
Another shared: “This has been a truly eye-opening and rewarding trip. We have certainly learned a great deal, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this journey.”
President of the Halo Foundation, Her Excellency Lady Williams , who is also President of the Antigua and Barbuda China Friendship Association, commented that gaining a first hand understanding of the world in which we live , including China and the rest of the Far East , are crucial elements of cultural, political, economic, diplomatic, linguistic and geographic education . “One is in a position to make more accurate and realistic assessments , rather than mere assumptions , once one has experienced international exposure. Primary knowledge is a much sounder educational tool than vicarious information “, she added.
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