Peng Liyuan encourages German students, teachers to convey China-German friendship through music

Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has encouraged a group of German students and teachers to continue acting as a bridge of communication between China and Germany and convey China-Germany friendship through music.

Peng made the remarks on Thursday while meeting representatives of students and teachers from the Chinese Choir of Burg Gymnasium, who are visiting Beijing No.35 High School.

The Burg Gymnasium, a German high school, has been offering Chinese language courses since 1994, and has organized several visits to China for exchanges in recent years. 

Peng has close ties with the German school. In March 2014, she joined a Chinese class at the school during Xi's state visit to Germany. In October 2016, she met with the teachers and students of the school in Beijing. In February 2021, Peng wrote a letter to the students and teachers at Burg Gymnasium, encouraging them to contribute to promoting friendship between the Chinese and German peoples.

During Thursday's meeting, Peng said that through joint efforts, the choir has built a bridge of cultural exchanges between China and Germany and become a shining symbol of China-Germany friendship. It is hoped that the students can feel the charm of Chinese culture in the beautiful melody, and become a new generation of envoys of China-Germany friendship, she added.

Olaf Millmann, president of the choir association, thanked Peng for her care and support for the choir, and said that more and more German teenagers have come to know and love China by learning Chinese through singing. They will continue to actively build a bridge of communication through music and Chinese, enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between German and Chinese teenagers, she added.

The student representatives of the choir talked about their studies and expressed their love for China to Peng in Chinese, and said that they would continue to work hard to learn Chinese well.

Peng praised the students for speaking Chinese better, and encouraged them to share their experiences and feelings in China with their families and friends after returning home and continue the stories of China-Germany friendship.

The establishment of the Chinese choir of Burg Gymnasium was inspired by Peng. During her visit in 2014, the students asked her how to improve their Chinese pronunciation. Peng recommended that they sing Chinese songs. Since its founding, the choir has appeared on many important diplomatic occasions between China and Germany and has put on a number of Chinese chorus performances.

Simone Reuen, the principal of Burg Gymnasium, once said that their songs have played a slight but very important role in the exchanges and mutual learning between people in Germany and China.