Feature: Chinese culture enchants fans in Edinburgh at week-long camp

For 35-year-old Brazilian Cleber Souza, who participated in a week-long Chinese culture paradise trip ending here Monday, Kung Fu inspired his reason for coming.

Souza said he used to be a factory worker in Brazil before he moved to London to teach Kung Fu at public and private schools in 2015. He's been practicing the Chinese martial art for the past 20 years.

"Once you start an activity, such as martial arts, you would like to learn the Chinese language, explore the culture, know more about the country and people, how they think and speak," said Souza, who gave his Chinese name as Wende.

He was speaking to Xinhua after his performance at the closing ceremony for the Chinese culture learning camp at Edinburgh Academy Senior School.

Since March 28, participants have been learning Chinese traditional culture techniques including music, singing and dancing, drawing, and history at different classes taught by 11 Chinese school teachers from Huizhou of Guangdong province in southeast China.

"The courses are welcomed by parents and students with high aspirations and interest ... and the event bears fruit with the work displays around here," said Wu Shanxiong, chairman of the UK (United Kingdom) Association for the Promotion of Chinese Education and one of the organizers of the Chinese culture event.

Wu, who lives in Newcastle in northeast England, told Xinhua that similar events had been successful there as well as in London, and he expected the Chinese culture learning camp would be brought to more cities across Britain to enlighten more overseas Chinese descendants with the rich history of the Chinese culture.

Helen Skulina, a Qigong fan who is half Polish and Scottish and former social worker at Edinburgh City Council, said she saw the event as a good way to promote understanding between different cultures, and was much impressed by the final performance, attended by hundreds.

Since 2011, the Chinese culture paradise trip has served as a platform to promote overseas cultural exchange and cooperation in dozens of countries including Britain, Portugal, South Korea, France, Australia and Fiji, among others. Endit