by Tahir Ali

 

 

PESHAWAR, Feb. 3 (Gwadar Pro) - If you are interested in Chinese arts, culture, economic development, geography, but you cannot afford to visit China, don’t worry - China comes to you! Right around the corner, in Peshawar, is China Window, a Chinese cultural center which is devoted to providing information on China, all under one roof.

 

“When you open ‘China Window’, you will get a complete picture of China at a glance,” Amjad Aziz Malik, the founder and administrator of China Window told Gwadar Pro.

 

China Window contains painting and books galleries, maps, a classroom, a small theatre and guest room for Chinese visitors. The outer walls of the cultural center are also decorated with beautiful pictures and paintings depicting Chinese arts and culture.

 

According to Amjad Aziz Malik, who is a journalist by profession, students from schools, colleges and universities are regular visitors to the center. They are briefed on China’s magnificent history and its social and economic progress, its inventions and achievements. They can watch documentaries about China in the theatre. He said, during the last 15-month over 20,800 people have visited China Window.

 

Amjad Aziz Malik established the Chinese cultural center in 2018. According to him, the then-Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing wished to have a Chinese cultural center in Peshawar, as he had sensed the love for China and the Chinese people by the residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and wanted to encourage this by providing a comprehensive window into China to the people of this region, all under one roof. “I provided practical shape to his idea,” Amjad Aziz Malik said and added that the center was established with the Chinese embassy’s assistance to bring the people of both countries closer.

 

 

 

China Window has seven halls with unique themes. They display books, pictures of 40 years of reforms in China, pictures of the Golden Dragon, Chinese cuisine, map of China and paintings of its popular destination, including the Great Wall, Potala Palace, Temple of Heaven, the Forbidden City, and Yellow River, etc. 

 

 

 

 

One hall displays about 200 books on Pak-China relations, Chinese history, culture, music, food, folklore, acrobatics, calligraphy, etc. The books are available for visitors to read while they enjoy a cup of tea by courtesy of the center.  The lawn of the center is decorated with pictures of traditional dances of China while a large 3-D picture of the Great Wall is a special attraction; visitors get photographs taken with this as background.

 

Sohail Ahmed, a recent visitor, told Gwadar Pro, “It is fascinating and informative to visit the center and other Chinese arts and culture, I learnt many things the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Chinese projects in Pakistan as well”.

 

China Window has also started offering free Chinese language classes. Students, doctors, professionals and journalists have attended the language course. 24 persons participated in the first class in 2020; 36 students participated in the second class, while 47 students were enrolled during the ongoing class that commenced in January 2021. During the 45-hour course, students learn 150 basic words in the Chinese language.

 

 

 

Umme Rubab told Gwadar Pro that when she was a student in the first class, it was a good experience as she learnt more than 100 basic words in the Chinese language. “I am thankful to China Window for providing me with this opportunity,” she said.

 

Seven-year-old Hasnain, the youngest radio jockey from Peshawar has also been a student at China Window, where he is learning the basics of Chinese and hopes to attend advanced classes in the future.

 

China Window has played a crucial role in portraying the positive image of CPEC, especially in northwestern Pakistan. A special gallery of paintings highlights the importance of different projects under CPEC in KP. “The negative perceptions of many visitors about CPEC changed after they visited China Window,” Amjad Aziz Malik told Gwadar Pro, adding he and his wife are spending long hours to taking this mission ahead.