The Honorable Maxine Henry-Wilson

Minister of Education, Youth and Culture,

Mr. Dalton Yap

President of the Chinese Benevolent Association,

Leaders of the Jamaican Chinese Community,

Teachers and Students,

This is not my first time to address a warm and attentive audience from the stage of the CBA Center. However, today it is different for the young students constitute the majority of the audience. I feel much younger being with such a large group of youngsters full of vigor and vitality.

First of all, please allow me to express my congratulations to the 4th Jamaica Day. I have mentioned on several occasions that Jamaica is a great nation for it understands very well the importance of its cultural heritage and has its unique way to carry forward its tradition and pass it from generation to generation.

I should express my gratitude to the Hon. Minister and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture for making "Children of the Dragon – Celebrating the Chinese" as the theme of this year's Jamaica Day. This is a very good decision, especially when we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of such an active Jamaican Chinese Community who has contributed greatly to the nation building and the formation of cultural landscape of Jamaica.

Today is not the time for a briefing on the bilateral relations between China and Jamaica, but as Chinese Ambassador, I can tell you that both governments are very happy with our current relationship. A lot of exchanges and cooperative projects have been carried out, and early next February will see China and Jamaica co-hosting the China-Caribbean Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum in Kingston, which will further strengthen the economic and trade ties between China and CARICOM countries, and especially between China and Jamaica.

I would also like to say "thank you" or xiexie in Chinese to over 2,500 students and teachers who are here today ready to expose yourself to the Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit. My Embassy has helped put up Chinese photo show, art exhibition and movie festival. I hope, to all of you, today will become an unforgettable experience and a beginning of your appreciation to another great culture. At least, when you get back to school next Monday, you can tell your classmates that xiexie is a Chinese phrase that means Thank you.

Although China and Jamaica are far away from each other, the two counties have carried out fruitful cultural exchanges over the years. Just in this year alone, China has sent 2 art troupes to perform in Jamaica, Yangzhou Puppet Theater in July and Zunyi Acrobatic Troupe in September. I presume that some of you did watch these performances or at least read about them. Some Jamaican friends told me that they enjoyed very much the performances not only for the dazzling skills of the performers but also for the distinguishing Chinese artistic features including the costume and music.

However, I believe that the majority of you don't know much about the Chinese culture. It's understandable for the Chinese culture is too profound and its history too long.

Let me ask you a question. What would come first to your mind when you think of China? Chinese Kongfu? Chinese food? The Great Wall? Confucianism? Table tennis? Or the dragon?

Have you ever raised such questions to yourself: What does a dragon look like? What is its cultural implication? Why the Chinese people, no matter where they are, would proudly refer themselves as "Children of the Dragon"?

Dragon lives only in legends and tales. There is no such an animal at all. But dragon is everywhere, not only in China, but also in every corner of the world where there are Chinese. Dragon is the core of the Chinese culture, the totem of the Chinese nation and the embodiment of the Chinese people. The very first image of dragon was created at least 5000 years ago as the totem of the principal tribe who constituted the main part of the Chinese people. Later on, its form was enriched during the process of combination and unification of various tribes. When a new tribe joined in, part of its own totem would be added to the body of the dragon. That's the reason why dragon looks like this today, having the body of a snake, horns of a dear, mouth of a cow, scale of a fish, head of a horse, claws of an eagle, paws of a tiger and ears of an ox. So dragon symbolizes the Chinese people's pursuit of national unification.

Dragon is also regarded as the symbol of good fortune and used by the Chinese people to express their wishes and ideals. They call themselves "children of the dragon" because dragon stands for capability, self-improvement, diligence and fortitude. In China, you can find image of dragons as decoration on architecture, porcelain and even on jewelry. In festive celebrations, dragon dance usually represents the climax of activities.

Far back in the times of remote antiquity, the Chinese people already started to create its splendid culture that has influenced the human development in countries far beyond the Chinese borders. It shines in even greater brilliance in the world of today. Could you name a few things that were invented by the Chinese people? Here I'd like to mention the four great inventions made by China: papermaking, printing, gunpowder and the compass. It would be impossible for a historian to envision a history of civilization without contributions made by the Chinese people.

The most important feature of the Chinese culture is its emphasis on the harmony of man and nature. Internally, it endows the Chinese culture with a deep sense of humanism, so personal ethics, self-cultivation and the pursuit of moral perfection are well observed, of which the Jamaican Chinese community is a good example. This philosophy has influenced every aspect of Chinese culture, including language, literature, art, medicine and education. Externally, it tells the Chinese people to respect other civilizations and to co-exist peacefully with them. The Chinese people love peace and have made genuine friends all over the world.

In the past, neither the Pacific Ocean in the east nor the deserts in the west could stop the Chinese people from making extensive friendly contacts with foreign cultures. 2000 years ago, a famous trade route, called the Silk Road, was blazed by the Chinese explorers, serving as a bridge linking east and west. Many important Chinese inventions along with fabulous Chinese goods were spread to the western world through the Silk Road. In the 15th century, the great navigator Zheng He commanded an enormous fleet to complete seven major maritime expeditions to the Pacific and Indian Oceans. His sea-faring was 87 years earlier than that of Columbus, and another difference was that Zheng He came for peace and cultural exchanges, not for colonization and exploitation. Instead, he taught the local people how to grow crops, use agricultural tools, dig wells, prepare tea and even play Chinese chess. In the eyes of the Chinese people Zheng He was a great hero.

But do you know who was the greatest hero of the Chinese people, the man who saved China from colonial rules, foreign invasions and feudalism? Have you ever heard the name of Chairman Mao Zedong? He was the founder of the People's Republic of China and the most respected and beloved leader of the Chinese people. I'd like to finish my greetings with a quotation from Chairman Mao. That was what he said to a group of Chinese students studying in Moscow in early 1950s:

"The world is yours, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is yours. You young people, full of vigor and vitality, are in the bloom of life, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning. Our hope is placed on you."

And I'd like to borrow this quotation from the late Chairman and present it to you. But I will add one sentence, that is "the hope of Jamaica is placed on you, and the hope of the continuous friendship between China and Jamaica is also placed on you."

Thank you very much.