4年前，时任国家副主席的习近平访问美国时，我作为优秀留学生代表受到了亲切的接见。习主席当时希望我们今后不管是在美国还是回到中国，都不要忘了报效祖国。这嘱托言犹在耳。然报效祖国并不能仅仅是一句空话，要落到实际行动上。可以说每位留美学子都是祖国在美国的一座桥梁，我们每个人都应该通过自己这座桥梁，联接中外，沟通世界。也许我们还做不出惊天动地的大事，但是不积跬步，无以行千里，从身边的小事做起，尽自己的绵薄之力。

　　随着中国的国际影响力越来越大，有越来越多的人对中国的文化、语言感兴趣。文化是民族的血脉，语言文字则是文化的精髓，帮助学中文的人更好地学习中文，学到中文背后更精彩的中华文化，是促进中华文化传播的极佳途径。

　　初到弗吉尼亚大学的时候，教授中文课的邓婷老师正在寻找中国志愿者，以帮助暑期班的美国学生练习中文，我毫不犹豫地报了名。后来发现志愿者的活动都比较零散，如果能很好地组织一下，会有更好的效果。我就跟邓婷老师合作，建立了中文角（Chinese Corner）。中文角得到了弗吉尼亚大学校内媒体和弗吉尼亚州媒体Daily Progress的报道，成为弗吉尼亚大学学生活动的一个品牌。

　　中文角自创立伊始，便与学校的中文项目开展合作，并迅速扩大到与校国际学生办公室、亚洲研究所、东亚中心、文理学院学生会等各个机构合作，又引入了中国文化讲座，讲授中国历史、茶道等。春节期间的特别活动，更是向参加中文角的美国学生和中国志愿者提供饺子等中国传统食品，并宣传中国年、中国节日的知识，促进了中国文化在美国的深层次影响。

　　饮食文化也是中国文化的一大特色。而在镇上的多家中餐馆的饭菜为了迎合当地人的口味，多数都会多放甜类的调料，失去了正宗的味道。为了让老外尝尝纯正的中国滋味，中文角举办了厨艺大赛，由班上学中文的学生投票选出他们认为味道最佳的饭菜，我们还教他们包饺子、粽子等中国特色食品。时至今日，学生们尝试吃“chicken feet”（鸡爪）之后那种哭笑不得、莫名其妙、五味杂陈的表情，都还历历在目。

　　有时候会有一些国内的访问学者、留学生家属也来到中文角，曾经有一位陈珊妹老师，她在国内是从事幼儿教育的，来这里探望儿子。来到中文角的时候，就用教幼儿园小朋友认汉字的方法来教这些外国大学生，看着他们一本正经地跟着陈老师念中文儿歌，实在是忍俊不禁。

　　中文角人来人往，经常在中文角对话的美国朋友们，毕业后分散到美国的各个地方，有的还去了中国，我在南京就碰到过一位在中文角练习中文的女孩儿，她嫁给了中国人。希望在弗大培育的这些学习中国文化的“幼苗”，能够慢慢地长大，让中华文化传播得更远、更深。

　　美国学生简堂牧（Thomas Kent）在由我协助创办的《V客》杂志“老外写中文”的专栏中写道：“我18岁起开始学习中文，在那之前，我对中国的了解非常有限，充满了误解。我以为中国是铁板一块，除了国土辽阔、人山人海之外，中国人只吃大米，稻田无处不在。我也以为中国人全都是数学天才。至于中文，那可真是个奇怪的语言，外国人可能永远学不会。对我来说，中国简直太神秘了。但是，在我学中文的过程中，我的想法逐渐改变了，发现自己以前很多对中国的看法都是偏见、误解。随着我的视野逐渐开阔，我不再无知地认为凡是不同就该排斥。现在我认识到了中国的多元性和在世界上独一无二的地位。”

　　18岁才开始学中文，开始了解中国，似乎是晚了些，如果能够从娃娃抓起，也许就能够让其他国家的人民更好地了解中国。从我那一届开始，中国学生学者联谊会的同学在弗吉尼亚大学周边地区20余所小学讲授中国的相关知识。从教小朋友们最简单的方块汉字“一、二、三”开始，到讲述中国的万里长城，搭配上各种各样的精美的中国艺术品，而且有多才多艺的同学现场表演中国艺术，赢得了小朋友们热烈的掌声，让美国的学生从小就感受到中国的魅力。听着小朋友们用幼嫩的声音跟着我们念“中国”“一、二、三”，看着小朋友们对中国艺术品爱不释手的样子，我顿时觉得再苦再累也愿意多跑几个学校，让更多的小朋友知道中国。

　　才艺表演的时候总是需要临时召集一些多才多艺的志愿者，找这样的志愿者显然不那么简单，将这些才子才女们组织到一起，传播精粹的中国文化艺术的中国艺术团便应运而生。我担任学联主席期间，我们的文化部长刘欣叶带领李昂昂、陶治源等人，组建了中国艺术团。艺术团作为中国文化的使者，参加了一系列校内外活动，例如国际学生文化汇演、商学院国际节、华裔学生会春节晚会、姐妹会年度演出等活动，既传播了中国文化，又增进了学联与这些组织的交流，加强了华人团体在当地社区的影响。

　　在校长办公室、东亚系、音乐系的支持下，艺术团举办了精彩纷呈的年度汇演，吸引了数百名美国人。年度汇演的时候，中国古典乐器古筝、琵琶、竹笛、二胡、葫芦丝等悉数登场，展示了高山流水的琴箫合奏，琵琶弦音下的江湖意气，精彩的民族风舞蹈，以及曼妙的现代舞，给观众带来视觉、听觉上的清新，引起了全场欢快的笑声和热烈的掌声。

　　文化的交流是双向的，一方面向美国友人展示我们的中国文化，一方面我们也积极组织大家学习美国文化。橄榄球是美国最流行的运动之一，弗大也有一座容量近7万人的橄榄球场，每逢比赛日都是人山人海。但是大家对橄榄球的规则等了解不多，学联就举办橄榄球讲座，请熟悉的同学介绍橄榄球运动，让大家更好地了解美国的体育文化。一年一度的学联春节晚会也会从中文角邀请外国友人来做主持人，采用中国人用英文主持、美国人用中文主持的方式，让整台晚会更有风趣。

　　我们作为桥梁，既要连接外国友人，也要连接大洋彼岸的祖国，向祖国的同胞展示我们的留学生活，展示对美国生活的感悟，也带来外国友人对中国的看法。文以载道，用文字来表达这一系列点点滴滴，无疑是最合适的方式。弗吉尼亚大学社会学系博士、北大才子燕海鸣早有办一份杂志的想法，我们一拍即合，又请来建筑学院的胡迪负责美术编辑，加上燕海鸣的夫人、中国传媒大学毕业的李伟，搭起了历史悠久的弗吉尼亚大学首份也是唯一的中文刊物《V客》的架子。刊名取“客居弗吉尼亚、心系祖国”之义，对内丰富留学生的文化生活，给大家展示周围人的生活，对外提供一个了解弗吉尼亚大学、了解留学生活的窗口。

　　《V客》的主题紧扣留学，内容丰富多彩，从学校国际学生办公室对中国学生的印象和期望，知名华人学者的访谈，优秀毕业生对新生的寄语，到留学生衣、食、住、行的调查，以及学中文的外国学生对中文、中国的看法，等等，展示了最真实的留学生活。国际学生办公室主任对我们宣布：“我非常支持你们的这份中文杂志，会给你们这个杂志相当于平时其他活动10倍的资助。”

时光飞逝，离开弗吉尼亚大学将近4年了，欣闻中文角依然红火，《V客》还在出版，艺术团的汇演也仍然如期上演。感谢每个活动的每一位志愿者，感谢曾经出现在中文角的美国学生，感谢《V客》历任编辑的默默奉献，感谢艺术团各位才女才子的无私奉献。正是有了他们的支持，才使得我的留学生活多姿多彩，作为一座小小的桥梁，联接了中外友人，沟通并走进了中美社区。以区区之心，为中美之间的人文交流基石添上了自己的一片砖瓦。（作者系美国弗吉尼亚大学博士，曾任弗吉尼亚大学中国学生学者联谊会主席，2011年“国家优秀自费留学生奖学金”获得者，现为美国ProEngery公司技术总监及浙江谷丰科技有限公司技术总监）

Connecting China with the World

　As the bridge, we not only have to connect with people in America but also with people in our faraway homeland to explain what life studying abroad is like and how we perceive life in the US to the people at home, as well as the views of our American friends toward China.

four years ago, when Xi Jinping, then Vice President of China, visited the United States, I had the honor of meeting him as an overseas student representative. President Xi remarked that he hoped, regardless of whether we stayed in the US or returned to China, that we would serve our country well. This exhortation still rings in my ears today. Serving one’s country is not just empty talk; it is something that must be backed up by action. Every Chinese student studying in the US is a bridge, across which we must connect with people from other countries and communicate with the rest of the world. We may not change the world, but if each person does their modest best, many small contributions can amount to something much greater.

　As China’s international influence grows, increasing numbers of people are becoming interested in Chinese culture and language. Culture is a nation’s blood, and language is the quintessence of its culture. Helping people to study Chinese and learn about the interesting aspects of Chinese culture behind Chinese language is an effective way of promoting the spread of Chinese culture.

　When I first arrived at the University of Virginia, a teacher of Chinese language, Deng Ting, was looking for Chinese volunteers to help American summer school students practice their Chinese, and I quickly signed up. I later discovered that the activities that required volunteers were organized in a slightly ad-hoc manner, and I felt that if they were better organized then they would be more effective. I therefore worked with Deng Ting to set up Chinese Corner. Chinese Corner was the subject of reports by campus media and the Virginia newspaper, Daily Progress, and it quickly became a well-known student activity at the university.

　From the start, Chinese Corner worked in cooperation with the school’s Chinese programs, and it quickly expanded to cooperate with the university’s International Studies Office, Asia Institute, East Asia Center and the student union of the College of Arts and Sciences. It also started offering lectures on Chinese culture, classes on Chinese history and tea ceremonies. During Spring Festival we provided traditional Chinese food such as jiaozi (dumplings) to American students who attended Chinese Corner as well as the Chinese volunteers. We also explained the meaning of Chinese New Year and other Chinese festivals, thereby helping to promote greater understanding of Chinese culture in the US.

　Food is an important part of Chinese culture, but in the local Chinese restaurants in Virginia they cater to local tastes by making dishes sweeter, which means they lose their authentic flavor. Chinese Corner held a cooking competition, and students who studied Chinese voted for the winner. We also taught them how to make Chinese specialties like jiaozi and zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). I can still remember the look on the faces of the students as they tried chicken’s feet for the first time!

　We occasionally had Chinese visiting scholars and family members of Chinese students come to Chinese Corner. We were once visited by Chen Shanmei, a specialist in childhood education in China, who was there visiting her son. She used the methods for teaching kindergarten children Chinese characters with the university students. It was amusing to see a group of young adults singing along to children’s songs in Chinese with Ms. Chen.

　People came and went from Chinese Corner. American students who attended our group often ended up working in places across the US after they graduated, and some even went to China. While in Nanjing I bumped into a girl who had practiced her Chinese at Chinese Corner; she had married a Chinese. I hope that the “buds” we nurtured at the University of Virginia will grow up to spread Chinese culture even further and deeper.

　In the “Foreigners Writing Chinese” column of VKe, a student-run Chinese language magazine I helped to set up, an American student called Thomas Kent wrote:

　I started studying Chinese at 18. Before that, I knew very little about, and completely misunderstood, China. I thought of China as a monolithic whole. In addition to being a vast country and having a large population, I thought Chinese people ate only rice and that the whole country was covered in rice fields. I also thought that all Chinese people were good at math. As for Chinese, it was just a strange language to me that I thought non-Chinese could never master. China was simply a mystery to me. But, in the course of studying Chinese, my views gradually began to change, and I discovered that a lot of the things I believed about China were mistaken. As my eyes have gradually been opened, I no longer ignorantly dismiss things that are different. I now see that China is a diverse place and holds a unique position in the world.

　Starting to learn Chinese and about China at 18 is slightly late. If we can start them off as children, then perhaps people from other countries will understand more about China. When I was at the University of Virginia, the Chinese Students and Scholars Society began teaching classes on topics related to China to more than 20 elementary schools near the University of Virginia. The society teaches elementary school students about Chinese culture, from basic Chinese characters to the Great Wall, and introduces them to a variety of exquisite Chinese art forms. Chinese students even put on performances for American children. All these things help to instil in young American students an interest in China and Chinese culture. Listening to the young students chant “one, two, three” in Chinese and seeing their enthralled faces when they see Chinese art is enough to motivate us to carry on our mission and take our teaching to more schools so that more children can learn about China.

　Finding volunteers for performances was not easy, but we managed to put together a Chinese art troupe of talented men and women to help spread the essence of Chinese culture and art. While serving as the chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Society, the head of our culture department, Liu Xinye, led a group that included Li Angang and Tao Zhiyuan in setting up a Chinese art troupe. The art troupe acted as a Chinese cultural envoy and participated in a variety of events both on and off campus, including an international students’ cultural festival, an international festival organized by the business school, a Spring Festival party and annual sorority shows. This helped spread Chinese culture, but also promote interactions between the Chinese Students and Scholars Society and other organizations, thereby increasing the influence of the Chinese community within the local community. Lacking any sort of artistic talent, I helped with the background organizational and communicative work.

　With the help of the dean’s office, the East Asia Center and the music department, the art troupe holds an annual concert, which attracts hundreds of locals. The annual concert includes performances on Chinese classical instruments such as the guzheng (Chinese zither), pipa (Chinese lute), bamboo flute, erhu (two-stringed fiddle) and hulusi (cucurbit flute). The performances evoke visions of China’s verdant natural environment, while traditional ethnic dance and graceful modern dance offer the audience new visual and auditory experiences, which usually set off waves of laughter and draw thunderous applause.

　Cultural exchanges are bidirectional. On the one hand, we exhibit Chinese culture to American friends, and on the other, we actively learn about American culture. Football is the most popular sport in the US, and the University of Virginia has a 70,000-seat football stadium, and there is a sea of people on every game day. However, few Chinese people understand the rules of the game. The Chinese Students and Scholars Society therefore organized a “Football 101” class and invited students to teach us about the sport and America’s sports culture. American students are also invited to host the annual Spring Festival Gala, so that there is a Chinese host speaking English and an American host speaking Chinese, which makes the evening more interesting.

　I feel that the bridge not only has to connect with people in America but also with people in our faraway homeland to explain what life studying abroad is like and how we perceive life in the US to the people at home, as well as the views of our American friends toward China. Words convey truth, and using the written word to express these things was undoubtedly the most suitable method. Yan Haiming, a sociology doctoral student at University of Virginia, and former student of Peking University, had been thinking about setting up a magazine for some time. We hit it off as soon as we met, and we invited Hu Di from the School of Architecture to be the fine arts editor, and recruited Yan’s wife, Li Wei, a graduate of the Communication University of China, to set up University of Virginia’s first and only Chinese language publication, VKe. The name means “a guest in Virginia whose heart belongs to the homeland”. The publication serves as a platform for enriching the cultural lives of Chinese students and understanding the lives of people around them, and as a window for people outside the university to learn about the University of Virginia and the lives of students studying abroad.

　The focus of VKe is life for Chinese students at the University of Virginia. It features a wide variety of content aimed at sharing the real lives of Chinese students, from the International Studies Office’s impressions and expectations of Chinese students, interviews with well-known Chinese scholars and messages from graduates to new students, to surveys on overseas students’ basic needs and the views on Chinese and China of students studying Chinese. The head of the university’s International Studies Office even sent us the following message: “I very much support this Chinese magazine and will give your magazine 10-times the funding usually given to other events”.

　It is already nearly four years since I left the University of Virginia, but I’m glad to hear that Chinese Corner is still as popular as ever, VKe is still being published and the art troupe are still performing regularly. I am grateful to all the volunteers of each activity and to the American students who have attended Chinese Corner. I am grateful to the editors of VKe for their quiet dedication and to the talented men and women of the art troupe for their selfless commitment. It is thanks to their support that my student life was so varied and enjoyable and I was able to act as a small bridge connecting Chinese and foreign friends and facilitating communication between Chinese and American communities. I like to think that I have added my own brick to the foundations of people-to-people exchanges between China and the US.

　(The author has a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, is the former chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Society at the University of Virginia, was the recipient of the 2011 “Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad” and is currently the technical director at ProEnergy, a US company, and Zhejiang Gufeng Science and Technology Co., Ltd)