Building Dreams in Jinling, Enjoying the Fragrance of Books: The 2026 United Nations Chinese Language Day China–Malaysia Online Chinese Book Co-reading and Donation Event Successfully Held

On April 20, on the occasion of United Nations Chinese Language Day, the Building Dreams in Jinling, Enjoying the Fragrance of Books 2026 United Nations Chinese Language Day China–Malaysia Online Chinese Book Co-reading and Donation Event was successfully held at Nanjing Vocational College of Information Technology. The event connected Nanjing, China and Malacca, Malaysia via the cloud, using books as a bridge and culture as a medium to promote mutual learning between Chinese and Malaysian civilizations and the development of Chinese-language education.

This event was guided by the Nanjing Overseas Friendship Association and hosted by Nanjing Vocational College of Information Technology, the Qixia District Overseas Friendship Association, and the Qixia District Western Returned Scholars Association. It was organized by the Management Committee of the Historic City of Melaka (Jonker Street), Malaysia, and the Malaysian Chong Hwa National Type Secondary School in Melaka, with co-organization by Jiangsu Phoenix Electronic Audio Visual Publishing House.

At the event site, guests from China and Malaysia gathered both online and offline to discuss cultural exchange. Zhang Ping, Deputy Head of the United Front Work Department of the Qixia District CPC Committee and Director of the District Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, and Gan Tianlu, Chairman of the Management Committee of the Historic City of Melaka (Jonker Street) and Chairman of the Board of the Malaysian Chong Hwa National Type Secondary School in Melaka, delivered speeches one after another, expressing their best wishes for China–Malaysia cultural exchange and the inheritance of Chinese-language education.

At the book donation ceremony, Sun Dongfang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Qixia District CPC Committee and Head of the United Front Work Department, and Kong Jie, Secretary of the NJCIT's Party committee, jointly displayed samples of the donated books. It is worth mentioning that, in addition to biographies of academicians, local humanities works, and other humanities books, this donation also included high-quality Chinese books in multiple fields such as communications, artificial intelligence, art design, and e-commerce, edited by teachers from NJCIT, which were specially donated to Malaysia. These books not only cover the fine traditional Chinese culture but also incorporate modern scientific and technological achievements, providing Malaysian students with a reading platform to learn about China and get to know Nanjing, and helping to improve the quality and efficiency of local Chinese-language education.

During the event, students from China and Malaysia jointly presented a cloud-based recitation, giving a heartfelt rendition of Mr. Ye Zhaoyan's work An Unfinished Day and conveying the humanistic heritage and youthful spirit of Nanjing. Subsequently, Chinese and international students, together with NJCIT alumnus and young calligrapher Zhou Xiaojin, wielded their brushes to write the event theme, Building Dreams in Jinling, Enjoying the Fragrance of Books, showcasing the beauty of China–Malaysia cultural integration through the art of Chinese calligraphy. At the end of the event, the attending leaders presented certificates of honor to the Chinese and Malaysian students who participated in the exchange, recognizing the positive role that young students play in cultural exchange.

Chinese is one of the official languages of the United Nations and an important bridge connecting Chinese civilization with the rest of the world. Taking United Nations Chinese Language Day as an opportunity, this event used diverse forms such as shared reading, donation, recitation, and calligraphy to deepen people-to-people cultural exchanges between China and Malaysia, promote the spread of Chinese-language education, and allow the beauty of the Chinese language to cross mountains and seas and convey friendship.

In the future, Nanjing Vocational College of Information Technology will continue to give full play to its strengths in running the college and its role as a platform for international exchange, deepen cooperation with overseas Chinese-language education institutions, and promote friendship between China and other countries through cultural exchange and educational interaction, so that the excellence of Chinese culture can continue to shine on the international stage.

Photo by Publicity Department Ji Jie / Management Committee of Jonker Street, Melaka, Malaysia

Text by Xu Jun, School of Digital Arts

Reviewed by Cao Xue, Office of International Exchange and Cooperation