Visiting Program for Young Sinologists closes

Sinologists participated in the 3rd Visiting Program for Young Sinologists taking a photo at the National Library of China on July 24. [Photo by Ruan Fan/For China Daily]

The 3rd Visiting Program for Young Sinologist hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences held its closing ceremony at China's National Library in Beijing Friday.

Thirty-six Sinologists from over 30 countries participated in the program, studying in several Chinese universities, academies and institutions in fields such as Chinese literature,linguistics and philosophy and topics such as the Road and Belt Initiative and Jia Zhangke's films.

At the closing ceremony, nine Sinologists shared their thoughts on their three weeks' study and their travel experiences to central China's Henan province.

Indian sinologist Madhuren Jha said he felt grateful for the program and his tutor, Jia Lili. She not only provided him comprehensive materials for studying Chinese films, she also managed to arrange an interview for him with Jia Zhangke, whose films he enthusiastically studied.

"A single conversation across the table with a wise man is worth a month's study of books," Mao quoted a Chinese saying to express how he was electrified by the conversation with Jia.

Joachim Boittout from France said he was greatly inspired by traveling to Henan province's Anyang city, as he finally got to see in person the inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells from the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC).

As a sinologist who is very keen on classic Chinese literature and poetry, he also travelled to Taohua Valley in Linzhou city, Henan province. He said the place reminded him of the ancient Chinese poem Peach Blossom Spring written by Tao Yuanming.