Chinese Lives

News from China’s two national committees that are current in session, tell that Beijing Opera will become compulsory in campus. This traditional culture programme aims to cultivate classic culture appreciation of students from early ages to elders.

However, there is a row about which opera songs should be gathered in the text book. Much complaints fire at the Education Ministry who chose more adapted Red Opera than standard Beijing Opera songs. Their major concerns are as a result of the Red Culture between 1960s and 1970s, adapted opera can not properly represent Chinese traditional culture.

Beijing Opera artists up a suggestion to the Ministry that the traditional culture program should teach standard opera in majority, out of concerns that after generations true Beijing Opera might be lost if adapted popular version are accepted by the mass population.

For normal people like those random speakers on Tianya forum, they do not think it a big deal. Adapted opera is simpler for young beginners. As long as taken as a mere interest, whether it is very standard does not matter much.

Have you ever seen a primary school located inside a mountain? Here we are. This school is named mid-cave primary school as it sits in one of three caves inside a mountain. Firstly built in 1984 meant for a teaching branch for nearby resident units, it now accomodates 186 students with a teaching force of 8 staff.

Pic one, children, perhaps at grade one or two, study under natural light.

Pic 2 and 3, students on the play ground during break.

pic 4, new classrooms on construction inside the cave.

pic 5, Creeds hung over classroom, mean perseverant study.

Humble condition as that, it is still a officially registered country primary school. I sympathize with students at those poor mountainous regions. What impress me more is their self-sufficient, optimistic and strong spirit that bright up the underlightened school.

China has many schools far worse than the mid-cave primary school considering proper classroom facilities. That is a sad reality that our government has to solve, and certainly it takes time and efforts. Fortunately, apart from government subsidies, there are private funds and personal support added to make their conditions better. I believe, the classrooms, electricity, tables and stools, as well as the basketball ground, must be funded by them. That is a better move, for those children, and for our country.