CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Recently, the video of a Chongqing teacher giving foreign students a Chinese sugar painting lesson went viral online. Many Internet users praised the video and commented that it was an exciting way to communicate Chinese culture. Chen Qiao, the teacher in the video, who taught in Fuling No.16 Middle School, shared the story behind the video in a phone interview on April 22.

On April 13, more than 100 students and teachers from four classes were seated at the small auditorium of the 173rd Middle School in Yerevan, Armenia, looking forward to the Chinese sugar painting lesson to be given by Chen Qiao.

"Do you know what sugar painting is?" Chen Qiao asked. None of the students knew what sugar painting was, but they were very curious when seeing the various tools on the platform.

Chen Qiao picked up a special copper spoon and began to paint with the syrup. More than ten vivid sugar paintings, such as butterflies, cars, rabbits, lanterns, and roses, are presented to the eyes of the foreign students and teachers.

“How can you make such beautiful things with sugar?” “It seems to be made of glass. It’s marvelous!” All students marveled at the sugar paintings produced by Chen Qiao. After introducing the culture, history, and production techniques of Chinese sugar paintings, Chen Qiao invited students to make sugar paintings together.

"These beautiful sugar paintings are edible.” When Chen Qiao finished, all the students raised their hands and expressed their desire to taste sugar paintings.

"If you want a sugar painting, learn Chinese with me!” The auditorium was seething at once. "I like sugar paintings," the students said in not-so-standard Chinese. After tasting the sugar paintings, they exclaimed, "How sweet and marvelous the Chinese technique is!”

“I didn't expect the lesson to be so popular!” Chen Qiao said in a telephone interview. "I'm in my 40s. Before I taught in the school, I had been worried that I would be too old to be popular with my students. Unexpectedly, the sugar painting lesson has brought me closer to everyone, and I am affectionately called 'candy teacher'."

Why did Chen Qiao give a sugar painting lesson? Chen Qiao answered that he is a teacher and an inheritor of the Fuling sugar painting. He wished to share the sweetness of sugar paintings with children from all over the world.

Chen Qiao told us that in previous years, he had taught Chinese language and culture in the United States and Mexico. “Last year, I participated in the examination training for the State-Sponsored Teachers Program of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, the Ministry of Education. Last month, I was chosen and sent to the 173rd Middle School in Yerevan, Armenia, for the two-year Chinese Language Education and Culture Communication Program.

"For the teaching in Armenia, I have prepared face-changing, calligraphy, and other lessons. I think the children will definitely like them." Chen Qiao said that learning and experiencing traditional Chinese folk culture is a good way for foreign students to understand China.

"The next class is my calligraphy lesson. I will teach the students how to write their Chinese names with a brush in class,” said Chen Qiao. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)