• Chinese Language & Chinese Culture Experience Course would provide a long-term platform for cultural exchange between Chinese and Pakistani youth: Minister

• Chinese Language Learning to foster Pakistan and China shared deep historical and cultural links, with the Silk Road: Cultural Counsellor of the Embassy of China in Pakistan

• Chinese Language teaching institues play vital role in building bridges between China and Pakistan

By: Muhammad Arif, Editor NSN.Asia

Islamabad: Federal Minister for National Heritage & Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi on Monday attended the opening ceremony of the Chinese Language & Chinese Culture Experience Course, being held under the initiative “The Language of the Eastern Silk Road – Bridging China and Pakistan, Celebrating Shared Cultural Splendor”, at the Department of Archaeology & Museums (DoAM), Islamabad.

Addressing the ceremony, the Federal Minister said Pakistan and China enjoyed an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and a friendship that was “higher than the mountains, deeper than the oceans, and sweeter than honey.” He said that while political, economic and infrastructural ties, including cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), remained strong, the true foundation of the bilateral relationship lay in people-to-people contacts and cultural exchange.

The Minister said language was a gateway to understanding the national character and culture of a country. He noted that the Chinese Language & Chinese Culture Experience Course would provide a long-term platform for cultural exchange between Chinese and Pakistani youth. He said the programme would enable participants to learn basic Chinese greetings, self-introductions, numbers and everyday expressions, helping them communicate and engage meaningfully with their Chinese counterparts.

Aurangzeb Khan Khichi said the programme went beyond language learning by providing participants with opportunities to experience Chinese calligraphy, traditional festivals and cuisine. Such immersive cultural experiences, he added, would promote a deeper appreciation of China’s rich heritage, history and vibrant culture. “Culture unites hearts,” he said, stressing that initiatives of this nature foster mutual respect and lifelong friendships.

The Federal Minister appreciated the Embassy of China in Pakistan, the Department of Archaeology & Museums and the instructors for organizing the programme. He urged the young participants to make full use of the opportunity and become ambassadors of Pakistan-China friendship. He congratulated the organizers, faculty and participants and expressed his best wishes for the success of the programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Cultural Counsellor of the Embassy of China in Pakistan Mr. Chen Peng highlighted the importance of cultural exchange and mutual learning through the protection of cultural heritage. He said Pakistan and China shared deep historical and cultural links, with the Silk Road serving as a powerful connection between the civilizations of the two countries.

Mr. Chen Peng particularly highlighted the cultural links between Gandhara and Dunhuang, noting that Gandhara art represented an outstanding example of the integration of Eastern and Western civilizations, while the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang reflected the influence of diverse artistic traditions along the ancient Silk Road.

He said China-Pakistan cooperation in archaeology and cultural heritage protection had produced encouraging results. He referred to the exhibition of 173 Pakistani cultural relics at the Forbidden City in Beijing in 2023, which he described as the largest Gandhara art exhibition to date. He also highlighted ongoing cooperation between the Department of Archaeology & Museums and Peking University, including plans for a joint laboratory for cooperation on the cultural preservation of Taxila.

The Chinese Cultural Counsellor said China believed in the principle of “harmony in diversity”, emphasizing respect for the unique value and traditions of every civilization. He said China was willing to share its experience and technologies in cultural heritage preservation with Pakistani counterparts while respecting Pakistan’s own cultural traditions and learning from them.

He said China had accumulated extensive experience in the protection of cave temples, earthen sites and stone cultural heritage and expressed willingness to cooperate with Pakistani experts in areas including 3D scanning, digital modelling and the digital preservation of museum collections.

Mr. Chen Peng also highlighted the “Gandhara Guardians” project, jointly initiated by Chinese and Pakistani scholars, as an example of using education and community engagement to promote the protection of historical sites. He expressed hope for stronger cooperation between the archaeological and cultural heritage communities of China and Pakistan in joint archaeological excavations, conservation and restoration, heritage digitization, academic exchanges and World Heritage nomination and management.

Director General of the Department of Archaeology & Museums (DoAM) Syeda Tanzeela Sabahat, in her welcome remarks, expressed the Department’s commitment to strengthening cultural exchanges between Pakistan and China. She welcomed the initiative as an opportunity to bring Chinese and Pakistani participants together through language and cultural learning and expressed hope that the programme would contribute to deeper mutual understanding and stronger people-to-people relations between the two countries.

The Chinese Language & Chinese Culture Experience Course is being organized by the China Cultural Center in Pakistan and the Department of Archaeology & Museums, with the Pakistan-China Cultural and Economic Promotion Association as co-organizer. The programme is being held from August 10 to 13, 2026, with approximately 50 Chinese and Pakistani guests, students and staff participating.

The programme comprises six sessions and aims to build a long-term platform for cultural exchange between Chinese and Pakistani youth, while introducing participants to Chinese language, calligraphy, traditional festivals, cuisine and other aspects of Chinese culture.

The ceremony concluded with the official opening of the course and an exchange of commemorative plaques between the Chinese and Pakistani sides.