ESSEN, Germany, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and German students took the stage together on Saturday in the western German city of Essen for a youth exchange concert aimed at fostering cultural understanding and friendship through music.
Students from Germany's Burg Chinese Chorus and Yunnan University Secondary School performed a selection of Chinese songs at the concert, drawing warm applause from an audience of around 200.
The Burg Chinese Chorus is a non-profit organization that runs a "Learn Chinese by Singing" program for young people in Germany. Combining language learning with music and exchange activities, the group works to promote people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Olaf Millmann, chairman of the Burg Chinese Chorus association, said in his speech that learning through singing offers young Germans an accessible way to take their first steps in Chinese.
"A song can spark curiosity and make people want to understand more," Millmann said. "That curiosity can then create the motivation to continue learning the language and to get to know the people who speak it."
For 18-year-old chorus member Nikolaos Topoulos, that interest in Chinese has grown steadily since he began studying the language about two years ago. He told Xinhua that joining the chorus had helped him improve his vocabulary and spoken Chinese a lot. "I really like Chinese and want to keep learning it."
In July, he traveled to China with the chorus, visiting Beijing, Kunming and other cities. He said he was impressed by China's vastness, vitality and the warmth of its people. "Wherever we went, people were very friendly and welcoming," he said, adding that he plans to apply to China's Sichuan University after graduating from high school.
Zhang Yungang, leader of the chorus, told Xinhua that the "Learn Chinese by Singing" program has been running for more than a decade, introducing many young Germans to the Chinese language. Some have later studied in China or pursued careers related to China-Germany business and cultural exchanges.
"When they sing together, their hearts come together," Zhang said, adding that more than a decade of experience has strengthened his belief in music as a way to sustain youth exchanges between the two countries.
