For a 14-member delegation from Durban, an invitation to perform on a stage in China became something larger than a trip abroad: a chance to carry South African culture before an international audience and to return home with skills, friendships and a widened sense of what is possible.
The students, from the Durban University of Technology (DUT), travelled to China as part of the 2026 Chinese Bridge Winter Camp, a programme organised through the DUT Confucius Institute in partnership with Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU). The delegation included 10 DUT students studying Mandarin and was led by DUT CI director Frank Lin Wu.
The centrepiece came at FAFU’s anniversary gala in Fuzhou on October 20, held to mark 90 years since the university’s origins in 1936. The South African students wore traditional attire, including beaded accessories and headdresses, and performed traditional song and dance alongside students from the Chinese university, as Chinese and international students joined in the anniversary programme.
For the young performers, the moment carried weight. Queen Mwandla, a third-year fashion design and textiles student also studying Level 2 Mandarin, described a mixture of excitement and nerves before the Chinese audience. She had worried that cultural differences between the two countries might leave the crowd unable to connect with the performance.
“But it was exciting and made me more proud of my culture than ever. At home, Zulu culture feels normal, but in China it felt special. The audience loved it because it was different and full of energy,” Mwandla said.
The camp, themed “Blessings gather in Fuzhou, China and Africa with one heart”, officially opened at FAFU on October 18. Welcoming the delegation, FAFU International Office director Fu Chaobo reflected on his time working in Durban, which he described as another home. He told the students their involvement in the anniversary celebrations was especially meaningful because they would not simply attend the events but contribute through their performance.
Fu called it “the golden opportunity for you to showcase your culture from Africa” and encouraged the students to interact with their Chinese counterparts. He urged them to see themselves as ambassadors of South Africa, sharing their language and culture while learning about China in return.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Maxine Kekana said taking part in a Chinese Bridge language competition had deepened her interest in the country. “The competition taught me many things and made me fall in love with China even more,” she said. Kekana noted that the students were grateful to attend the winter camp and join FAFU’s anniversary celebrations during the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges.
As a token of appreciation, the delegation presented the university with a painting pairing Fuzhou’s jasmine flower with South Africa’s protea, a symbol of friendship between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the programme stretched well beyond the stage, giving the students a first-hand view of China’s history, education, technology and everyday life. In Fuzhou they visited the International College of Juncao Science and the National Engineering Research Centre of Juncao Technology, where they learned how specially cultivated grasses can be used to grow mushrooms, feed livestock and help prevent soil erosion. They also met Professor Lin Zhanxi, the scientist who developed Juncao technology, which has previously been introduced in KwaZulu-Natal.
Further visits included a robotics company, Fuyao University of Science and Technology, a jasmine tea cultural centre and the historic Sanfang Qixiang neighbourhood, also known as Three Lanes and Seven Alleys. The group then travelled by train, including high-speed services, to Quzhou and Hangzhou, exploring historical sites and cultural landmarks such as the Confucian Temple in Quzhou and West Lake in Hangzhou. They also spent time briefly in Beijing before returning to South Africa.
For Mwandla, being in China at all was an experience she had never imagined possible. “I have loved Chinese culture from afar for so long, so tasting the food, visiting museums, and seeing places I had only seen on social media with my own eyes was so impactful and memorable,” she said.
Throughout the journey, the students had regular chances to practise Mandarin with local residents, engage with Chinese students and make new friends, putting their developing language skills to use outside the classroom. For Mwandla, the trip clarified how much more she wanted to learn and strengthened her resolve to keep studying the language.
“I want to return and have a real conversation without my translator app. I am so grateful for this opportunity. It has inspired me to pursue studying Mandarin and even doing my postgrad and living in China one day, because I can truly see myself there,” she said.