A group of Spanish students, who are studying the Chinese language at the Official Language School of Murcia, have visited the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) in Paola, as part of a three-day visit to Malta in their Erasmus+ programme.
"Since our centre has often received students from various countries, we were contacted by the Official Language School of Murcia to co-ordinate with them a programme of visits to Malta to enhance their students' knowledge and experience of Chinese culture," explained Dr Feng Hua, director of the MRCTCM of the 19th China Medical Team for Malta.
"Our journey to Malta was very important since this island has a very widespread interaction with Chinese culture," revealed Du Yan who teaches Chinese at the school of Murcia. "Malta has the first and only Traditional Chinese Medicine Centre in Europe which guarantees to safeguard the health of the people. It has also a Confucius Institute at the University of Malta to offer a bridge to the Chinese language to the people here. There is also a China Cultural Centre in Valletta which enhances the deep cooperation between China and Malta."
Visiting the MRCTCM early in the morning, the students discovered that the Chinese team had prepared a whole day of activities for them. First came the practice of Tai Chi and Baduanjin. Then, the students were invited to try their hand at the ancient Chinese art of calligraphy. Next came the Chinese chef who showed them how to make dumplings filled with cabbage and pork. Six different Chinese herbs and two herbal teas made with yellow chrystantemums and fried barley were then offered to the students to smell, taste and learn about their beneficial qualities. A relaxing and delicious lunch of dumplings followed. The students then attended two lectures where they were informed about the history of MRCTCM, the various Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies that are provided at the centre and the basic Baduanjin movements. Finally, each student had the possibility to try one of the TCM therapies.
All the students were very enthusiastic to discover as much as they could about Tai Chi, Baduanjin and TCM. For most of them, this was not only their first time in Malta but also the first opportunity to experience authentic Chinese culture.
"I think that TCM is a really interesting lens to get to know better the Chinese culture since it embodies the value of wisdom, both in spiritual and scientific terms. The fact that TCM can cure various parts of the body with incredible precise movements of needles is pretty amazing to learn about," said Javier Monerri Alguazas.
"We study the Chinese language because we love Chinese culture and we want to know more about it. This was a great experience," said María del Mar Arques Molina. "Although we have been here for just three days, I am feeling very at home and I wish I could stay longer."
"There are a few clinics which offer acupuncture in Spain but now that I have seen what is offered at MRCTCM, I think that the service available in Malta is of a far higher level. Now that I experienced the benefits of TCM, I believe that it should be present in many other countries," suggested Fernando Ortega López.
"I never learnt about TCM before and I'm really impressed by how it can cure so many diseases. Now I'm curious to learn more about it," said Andrea González who was very intrigued by the therapy of moxibustion.
Du was very pleased with the valuable experience that her students could enjoy at MRCTCM. This journey was not only the first mobility for the Official Language School of Murcia for the academic year 2023-2024, but also the first mobility for all the Official Language Schools in Spain for the Chinese language.
The Official Language School in Murcia is a public centre dedicated to learning languages such as German, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, English and Italian. The courses taught are equivalent to the certification of the Common European Framework of Reference at levels A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. The Official Language Schools make up a network of more than 300 public centres throughout Spain.
"I am determined to recommend Malta to other teachers in different divisions in various provinces in Spain, since I wish that more students could enjoy this fruitful experience. Malta is definitely the ideal place in Europe for anyone who is interested to learn about Chinese culture," said Du.
"Our job at MRCTCM is not only to treat patients in Malta. Teaching is also a good way to help people from Malta and from other countries to learn more about China. We always welcome groups of students who are interested to discover more about TCM therapies," concluded Dr Feng.