On April 19th local time, the United Nations Chinese Language Day themed activity "Encountering Chinese Characters, Harmonizing and Coexisting", which was co-sponsored by Nanjing, the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations (P.M.C.N.Y.), the Chinese Language Division of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Department of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and the United Nations Chinese Language Society (UNCLS), was opened at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Fu Cong, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, Han Liming, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Nanjing Municipal Committee, Francis, President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Abilene, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations General Assembly, Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations General Assembly for Economic and Social Affairs, and Chen Zhongliang, Director of Chinese Language Division, United Nations General Assembly, were present. Nearly 200 people attended the event, including Permanent Representatives of many countries to the United Nations, senior diplomats, United Nations staff, members of the Chinese Book Club, news media and friends from all walks of life.
Fu Cong said in his speech that the theme of the Chinese Language Day is "Encountering Chinese Characters and Harmonizing for Coexistence". The origin of the Chinese characters "和" and "合" conveys the meaning of harmony, concord, cooperation and coexistence.
For thousands of years, harmony has also been an important spiritual core of Chinese civilization, reflecting the Chinese people's beautiful vision of an ideal society since ancient times. Generations of Chinese people have always advocated the concepts of peace and harmony, the pursuit of the spirit of harmony and symbiosis, and the idea that different countries and cultures should work together in harmony and that the world should be one.
He expressed China's firm support for a greater role for the United Nations in promoting mutual respect, mutual appreciation and mutual achievement among different civilizations. We sincerely call on the international community to draw wisdom and strength from Chinese concepts such as harmony and coexistence, and to jointly promote global governance in a more just and rational direction.
She said that language plays an important role as a bridge and link in building a community of human destiny. As one of the four major ancient capitals of China, one of the first batch of famous historical and cultural cities in China, and the first "Capital of World Literature", Nanjing will uphold the concept of "Harmony", and organize activities such as "Belt and Road" Youth International Exchange, interviews with famous writers in the Capital of World Literature, and "International Literature Residency Program" to showcase Chinese culture. With the concept of "Harmony", Nanjing will organize the "Belt and Road" Youth International Exchange, interviews with famous writers from the World Literature Capital, and the "International Literary Resident Program", so as to serve as a window for displaying Chinese culture and a bridge for cultural exchange between China and the West, and to let more friends understand China and fall in love with Nanjing.
Francis said that the Chinese language has been an important part of the cultural heritage of mankind for thousands of years, and that China has always adhered to the ancient concept of "Harmony and Symbiosis", adhered to multilateralism, played an important role in global cooperation and in addressing global challenges, and has made significant contributions to the promotion of international peace and security and sustainable development.
Abilene and Chen Zhongliang said that Chinese is one of the oldest languages and one of the fastest growing languages in the world, and has always been an important link in promoting different cultural exchanges and mutual understanding among civilizations.
During the event, Chinese and foreign guests enjoyed viewing the exhibition on the theme of Chinese characters, stopping to look at exhibits such as the Jinling Scripture Engraving and Carving Plates originating from the Tang Dynasty, and tasting cultural products from Nanjing such as the Ten Bamboo Zhai Notebook and Rainflower Tea, experiencing traditional Chinese culture.
Through understanding the historical evolution of Chinese characters and appreciating the artistic presentation and innovative design of Chinese characters, everyone further felt their cultural heritage, aesthetic meaning and contemporary value, and experienced the unique charm of Chinese characters. Artists, including Nanjing violinists from the United States, also played famous Chinese songs such as "Three Plum Blossoms", "Jasmine Flower" and "Liang Zhu", which were warmly applauded by the guests.
In 2010, the United Nations announced the launch of United Nations Language Days to promote the equal use of the six official languages of the United Nations and to emphasize the importance of linguistic and cultural diversity. Chinese Language Day is celebrated annually on April 20, around the time of the traditional Chinese festival of "Gu Yu" (谷雨).
