FINGAL TO CELEBRATE Chinese culture
TEACHING ENGLISH TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR VISIT TO IRELAND
THE BONDS between Fingal and the Chinese city of Chengdu are set to grow stronger as we enter the Chinese new year at the end of this month. An interesting educational exchange is happening between the two locations and before a number of students visit these shores from Lianshang in Chengdu this summer, one of our bright graduates with an interest in all things Chinese has taken off for the adventure of a lifetime. Aoife Ní Mhuirí will be teaching English to students in Lianshang and along the way she will be educating the students and the wider community there about Fingal and its culture. These are the first shoots of co-operation between the two locations following an exchange between politicians and business leaders last year but these bonds have been steadily growing for six years now. In 2006 Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan as a gesture of friendship sent the famous changing faces artiste Mr Ho and his troupe to Ireland to celebrate Chinese New Year. It is traditional in China to celebrate Chinese New Year with performances of song, dance and acrobats. Changing Faces is one of the famous traditional acts of Sichuan. The small group performed in Dublin, Limerick, Belfast and several local Dublin schools to rapturous audiences. When the earthquake struck Sichuan in 2008 the people in Ireland gave generously to the fund raising organised by the local Chinese community and subsequently the United Chinese Federation of Ireland were afforded the opportunity to donate towards the rebuilding of a school in Sichuan. The school is named Dochas agus Misneach. The only school in China with an Irish name. In 2011 Fingal and Chengdu commenced the process of twinning and last May a small delegation from Fingal paid a return visit to Chengdu. There is great synergy in the industries of Chengdu and Fingal, IT, Pharmaceutical, Agriculture, Tourism and Green technology are common to both. The population of Chengdu is over 14 million and the city is in the vanguard of the 'opening up the west' policy. As a result of attending the Chengdu Sister Cities Week the green shoots of opportunities are now beginning to emerge. The first group of teenage students from Liangshan will come to Ireland in the summer for two weeks to learn more about Ireland and some will hopefully choose here as their preferred choice for third level education. Aoife Ni Mhuiri has been invited to spend three months in Liangshan as their guest to improve her Chinese and at the same time prepare the students for their visit to Ireland.
- JOHN MANNING
