Feature: N. Ireland choirs perform Chinese songs, promote cultural exchanges

Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang (Front, L) talks with Elena Garcia (Front, R), a teacher and music coordinator of the Millburn Primary School, after the school choir finished singing "Let Love Fill the World" in Chinese, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

BELFAST, Britain, April 1 (Xinhua) -- The first time Chloe Millar rehearsed the Chinese song "I Love You, China," she fell in love singing it despite the challenging pronunciation of lyrics.

Chinese is different from latin languages, and it's "nice and interesting," Millar, a student studying music at Belfast-based Ulster University, told Xinhua recently. She said she wanted to continue learning Chinese and would love to go to China someday.

"China's a beautiful country. There's a lot of culture that is totally different from what's here, and it's just something really interesting to see," she said. "I think it is good for people here to understand it."

Earlier this week, when the Ulster University Choir had just finished their performance on campus to welcome the visiting Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang and his delegation, many students were attracted to the melody and stopped to listen.

Abigail Medcalf, a student studying piano at Ulster University, told Xinhua she joined the choir at last minute, taking the role of accompanying the choir's singing. "It's been really good. I really enjoyed it," she said.

"It's so exciting to learn the new language and to learn how to sing in Chinese," she said, "I wish I could speak it a bit more, understand it a bit more."

Ulster University has established partnerships with many Chinese universities and hosts a Confucius Institute. Also on the university campus, the Millburn Primary School Choir sang "Let Love Fill the World" in Chinese.

Elena Garcia, a teacher and music coordinator of the school, told Xinhua that the song was about bringing different countries together and uniting everyone.

"The world's been through a lot of different, turbulent things in the last few years. I think that is very important to reach out to each other," she said. "It's something that brings us together."

"Music is very powerful," she said, "It's a nice way to come together, communicate with others."

Garcia said she would love to travel in China. She was fascinated with the Great Wall, as it is "so different from anything I've ever seen and it's so big and expansive."

Garcia said she thinks it's really important for young children to learn about different cultures and broaden their horizons."

Milena Stecyk, a student at Millburn Primary School, was in the choir and had been learning Chinese for years. She told Xinhua that she loved Chinese music and wanted to travel to Beijing someday to learn more.

Members of Ulster University Choir perform the Chinese song "I Love You, China," to welcome the visiting Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK) Zheng Zeguang and his delegation, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, March 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)