Made by hand using waste cartons, the "convex city outline" and "central axis" of Beijing's old city were moved into the small playground of the kindergarten. On the eve of Children's Day, Chaoyang District Happy Angel Kindergarten ushered in the "Hanfu Day" that is customary every semester. This day's "Hanfu Day" is based on the theme of Beijing's Central Axis. The cute children put on Hanfu and walked on the "Central Axis" Play games, listen to interesting explanations by scholars of literature and history, and learn about city gates, morning bells and evening drums, etc. Since last year, Happy Angel Kindergarten has established traditional culture as its characteristic. Traditional cultural symbols such as Sanxingdui and Hanfu culture are scattered throughout the kindergarten. It has received praise both inside and outside the school, including foreign children and parents.
On the playground, yogurt boxes are built in the shape of a city wall, forming the "convex city outline" of Beijing's old city. Small colorful signs mark the Chaoyang Gate, Chongwen Gate, Dongzhimen and other old city gates. In the city, the "buildings" on the central axis such as the Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, and the Wanning Bridge are arranged in a straight line. The children wore traditional costumes and lined up according to the large, medium and small classes. The girls wore Hanfu made from the Song Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. The boys dressed up as royal guards and scholars. There were also many foreign children wearing the national costumes of their own countries.
"In ancient China, people divided a day into 12 hours... At the first watch of the day, they would beat the drum first and then the bell. This is called the evening drum, which tells people that it is dark and it is time to go to bed! "The teacher demonstrated with a drumstick and explained to the children in detail, "Students in the small class, let's make a circle first. The teacher rings the bell to signify getting up, so we jump out of the circle. Playing the drums signifies rest, so we jump into the circle. Come on, okay?" Upon hearing the sound, the cute children jumped hand in hand and formed a small circle, playing games happily amid the sound of drums and bells.
After playing games in the morning, in the afternoon, Beijing literature and history scholar Xia Fan gave an interesting explanation on the theme of "Zoo in the Forbidden City" and introduced the children to the ridged animals, auspicious animals, etc. in the Forbidden City. "I didn't expect that the children knew much more than I expected!" Xia Fan was a little happy and surprised. On a daily basis, he visits many large, middle and primary schools in Beijing to teach about the Central Axis and Beijing’s history and culture. “After visiting so many schools, Happy Angel Kindergarten has the strongest traditional cultural atmosphere!”
It turns out that in this kindergarten, traditional cultural elements can be seen everywhere from the entrance gate to the three-story teaching building, from the building to the playground. At the school gate, a large foam board is made into a red Chinese-style gate, with details such as pillars carved with dragons, paintings, and a banner reading "Happiness Gate". Paper cups are painted with yellow paint and overlapped to form a Chinese-style roof. In the teaching building, each floor has a different theme. The third floor has "cultural relics" unearthed from the Sanxingdui site such as large bronze masks and bronze tripods. The second floor is about the culture of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The first floor has "Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains", traditional poetry, etc.
"These cultural relics, scenery, and scrolls are preserved from our daily traditional cultural activities, especially the 'Hanfu Day'. They are basically handmade by kindergarten teachers using waste paper shells, foam boards, etc. "Director Gao Ying said that "Hanfu Day" is held twice a semester, and the date is not fixed. It is based on the 24 solar terms, traditional festivals, traditional customs, etc., such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Spring Society Festival, dragon and lion dance, etc. Pot throwing and archery, etc. "Children may not fully understand these traditional cultures, but we hope that through these tangible things and interesting activities, we can plant seeds in the hearts of children little by little."
The area where Happy Angel Kindergarten is located is surrounded by many embassies in China. There are also many foreign children from Laos, Myanmar, the Czech Republic and other countries in the kindergarten. The "Hanfu Day" has received unanimous praise from foreign children and parents. "There are A parent said that when he took his children to play at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an, the child said: 'Mom, I should wear Hanfu.' At this moment, I felt that the small seeds of traditional culture began to sprout," Gao Ying said.
Photo provided by Gao Ying
