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Winters are always long and cold in Latvia, making the warm and humid climate of Guangzhou adorable by comparison. In spite of this, Shang Quanyu, a professor of SCNU, left his beloved home and traveled to Latvia, where he had never been, to take up the position as the Chinese dean of the Confucius Institute of the University of Latvia.
Shang Quanyu was supposed to stay there for four years. But after eight months of arriving in Latvia, he felt great pain in his legs. The cold weather exacerbated the pain, making it even more unbearable. Over the next two years, he went to hospital many times and had to walk with crutches when his legs were painful. He once sighed on his social media: "When your fervent passion meets the harsh test of freezing weather, when your left knee suffered with your right knee not healed, when your every step hurts with sweat dripping, can you still uphold your four-year commitment? Where can I find my answers and get motivated?"
Despite the harsh weather and his health issues, Shang Quanyu never gave up on his journey and stayed much longer than expected. To him, the dedication of the teachers and students to Chinese language and culture made him stay. The sincere eyes which consider China as their second hometown engaged him. The selfless spirit of volunteer Chinese teachers who work tirelessly at four or five in the morning moved him deeply. "The motivation comes from many touching stories made by everyone," he said.
Shang Quanyu together with Latvian dean Pēteris Pildegovičs.
Devotion to Chinese language teaching
Shang Quanyu, professor of the School of Foreign Studies of SCNU, worked as the Chinese dean of the Confucius Institute of the University of Latvia from June 2014 till October 2023. He is the Chinese dean with the longest tenure among the three Confucius Institutes co-established by SCNU.
With the help of the Latvian dean of the Confucius Institute of the University of Latvia Pēteris Pildegovičs and the volunteer Chinese teachers, he contributed to Chinese language teaching in Latvia. He opened up Chinese language classes for children at the Institute. As a result, the Chinese language learning programs cover all ages from primary school to the general public. The number of Chinese language teaching programs increased from 8 to 27, covering all major cities in Latvia. Together with the Confucius classroom, it also leads the way in the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania).
He was supposed to return in June 2020, but factors such as COVID-19, the 10th-anniversary celebration of the Confucius Institute of the University of Latvia in 2021, and the situation between Russia and Ukraine, led to an extension of his tenure. Dating back to 2020, due to the pandemic, the new Chinese dean of the Confucius Institute and new term of volunteer Chinese language teachers couldn't take up their positions. As the only Chinese teacher, Shang stayed in Latvia and went to the Confucius Classroom of Daugavpils University, nearly 300 kilometers from his home, to ensure the daily teaching at the Confucius Classroom.
He expressed how moved he was to witness the growth of students at the Confucius Institute of the University of Latvia. "When I first arrived in 2014, the kids were studying in the classes for children. Now, they are in the intermediate course for adults. Sometimes teachers, who had returned to China, would feel amazed to see their students still studying at the Confucius Institute. It is truly incredible that they have continued for so long, and all of us can feel this perceptible love for the Chinese language and Chinese culture!"
To improve Chinese language teaching, Shang enhanced communications among different Confucius Institutes and opened up international Chinese language education resources. He wrote and published a series of Chinese language learning textbooks and the history of Chinese language teaching in Latvia; meanwhile, he helped Pēteris Pildegovičs, the Latvian dean of the Institute, to publish and digitalize the Chinese-Latvian and Latvian-Chinese dictionary.
One of Shang's research results of Chinese language teaching in Latvia was published in 2016.
Promoting Chinese culture in Latvia
Students learn about the Chinese language at school, trying to understand Chinese culture. Outside the classroom, Shang also puts effort into promoting Chinese culture to local people within the general public.
Shang held many cultural activities to celebrate traditional Chinese festivals. Local children enjoyed joining in such cultural activities. For example, in some activities, some children would get a Chinese name. The students who cherished the names would bring home the Chinese names, written with a writing brush by teachers. What's more, they would make TV programs which introduce Chinese culture and broadcast them on TV channels. Students would watch the programs with their families, thereby allowing locals to know more about traditional Chinese culture.
Besides teaching Chinese language, Shang also appreciated the importance of physical education. He applied to Hanban (Confucius Institute Headquarters) and SCNU for martial arts volunteers to teach at the Latvian Wushu Federation and encouraged students to attend wushu championships.
Students are performing wushu to celebrate the 13th UN Chinese Language Day.
In the decade of his tenure, he witnessed the diffusion of Chinese culture. When he first arrived in Latvia, people tended to greet him in Korean or Japanese on the street. But now, when they meet Asian people, they will say "Ni Hao", hello in Chinese. Once he went on a tram with Pildegovičs, and an old lady stopped them and asked a few questions about Chinese culture. Though he didn't know her, she said that she knew them from watching TV and was curious about Chinese culture.
His efforts were recognized by both Chinese and Latvian officials. In addition, many Latvian schools such as the University of Latvia, Daugavpils University, Rezekne University, Riga Culture Secondary School, and Riga 34 Secondary School, expressed their appreciation for him.
Former premier of the State Council Li Keqiang (second from the left on the front row) and Shang Quanyu (second from the left on the back row) on November 6, 2016. Li encourages the Institute to develop language learning and cultivate translation talents.
Letter of appreciation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia to commend the contributions of the Confucius Institute of the University of Latvia in promoting the official and popular relationship between Latvia and China on 28 May, 2018.
Shang receives a certificate of appreciation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia on November 23, 2018.
Shang is awarded the certificate of honor from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Latvia on September 28, 2023.
Shang receives an honorary doctorate from Daugavpils University on June 22, 2022.
He won respect and appreciation for his great contribution to Chinese language teaching and the influence of Chinese culture in Latvia. With everything arranged, he chose to leave Latvia and welcomed his retirement life. The University of Latvia held a grand farewell party for the outstanding Chinese dean on September 18, 2023. Over 100 staff concerned with Chinese language teaching from different places in Latvia drove there to offer their best wishes to the devoted professor. He also considered Latvia as his second home. "It is an unforgettable experience for me, indelibly imprinted on my soul."
Although he has returned to China, Shang Quanyu remains passionate about promoting Chinese language teaching and building up cultural communication between China and Latvia. "The last 6 to 7 years of my working experience were dedicated to international Chinese language education and Latvia, which should be the most memorable part of my later life… I found myself in the glorious and sacred mission and career of international Chinese education."
Source from SCNU News Center
Written by Lin Yingtong, Luo Xiaoying
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Edited by Li Jianru
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