China’s ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming , visited Wellington College International Tianjin’s highly prestigious partner school, Wellington College in Berkshire, on Saturday, 2nd June. He was there to open the College’s Chinese Language Centre, the largest centre of its kind in the UK, dedicated to Chinese culture and Mandarin teaching. The distinctive pagoda-inspired building is a striking contrast to Wellington College’s traditional Victorian buildings which the ambassador said reminded him of Hogwarts, Harry Potter’s alma mater in book and film. He described the Centre as symbolising “a bridge of friendship between young people from China and the UK, which is the key to the future relationship between both countries”.
Dr Anthony Seldon, Headmaster of Wellington UK stressed that language was the key to understanding a country and its culture. “Life will increasingly become China-centric as the country moves centre-stage in international affairs and business,” he said. “The teachers’ job is to prepare the young people of the world for the future, a future which is inconceivable without China.”
David Cook, Headmaster of Wellington College International Tianjin and Director of Music Stephen Griffiths also attended, along with Wellington Tianjin’s four year piano prodigy, Mimi Zou. The youngest piano soloist ever to play at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Mimi took part in the opening ceremony, playing a traditional Chinese piece.
