Lecture highlighting Chinese culture held in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The seventh edition of "Me and China" themed lecture was held Thursday at Sri Palee College in Horana, Sri Lanka, with over 170 guests, including students and faculty members of the college, attending.

Addressing the event, college principal Anusha Damayanthi said that the college's founder Wilmot A. Perera had laid a strong foundation of friendship and cultural exchange between China and Sri Lanka, and his legacy continues to inspire the college to date.

She expressed hopes that the event will open new doors for students and faculty members alike to learn, experience and appreciate the beauty of the Chinese language and culture.

The "Me and China" lectures is an important platform to promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and Sri Lanka, said Ni Lisheng, chief of the China Cultural Center in Sri Lanka. He hoped that the events would help spark the students' interest in Chinese culture, and inspire them to become envoys of friendship between China and Sri Lanka in the future.

Vipula Jayampathi, vice president of the Sri Lanka China Society, shared his experience of four visits to China since 2015 in a speech titled "The Silk Road Legacy: My Experience with Sino-Sri Lankan Relations."

Following the lecture, students and faculty members also engaged in a variety of cultural activities, such as traditional Chinese paper cutting.

The college was founded in 1934 by Perera, who in 1957 became Sri Lanka's first ambassador to the People's Republic of China. Under his influence, the college has maintained a cherished tradition of participating in cultural exchange with China. Today, the school has introduced Chinese language studies as well as Chinese culture into the curriculum.

"Me and China" lectures, a flagship cultural exchange activity co-organized by the China Cultural Center in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka China Society, first took place in August 2024.■