Sun Xizhong (back, second from the left), Yuan Liang (back, third from the left) show the camp's flag

Reports from the Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs of Shandong indicate that the China Root Search 2013 Spring Camp (Shandong) opened at Green Hills World, the Educational Base for Chinese Culture of Shandong Province on Thursday. Sun Xizhong, the deputy director of the Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs of Shandong and Yuan Liang, the deputy secretary of the Communist Youth League of Shandong Province attend the opening ceremony and briefly addressed those in attendance.

Sun Xizhong said that the Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs of Shandong attaches great importance to Chinese culture education. The China Root Search has developed into a highlight of the Overseas Chinese Affairs of Shandong Province. Roughly 4000 overseas Chinese teenagers from over 30 countries and regions have attended the activity in Shandong. He highlighted the mission was to reinforce the roots of the Chinese nation and culture. Confucianism bears the Chinese national spirit, emotion and essence of Chinese culture. It is therefore necessary for overseas Chinese teenagers to come to Shandong to experience Chinese culture in person.

Yuan Liang welcomes more overseas Chinese teenagers to come and learn about Chinese culture.

After the opening ceremony, the overseas camp members and Chinese students plant trees in the Friendship Forest.

Attendees will learn about Chinese paintings, calligraphy, paper-cutting, dough modeling, Chinese traditional songs, dancing and Chinese martial arts during the camp. Some activities will be held in Taian, Qufu, Weifang, Zaozhuang and Qingdao.