“My message to our tree is ‘hoping you last forever’,” said a little girl from the Kindergarten Affiliated to Hangzhou Qianjiang Foreign Language Experimental School. In less than two hours, the group of kids had so much to say with their big friends, that they even adopted their own trees together.

We named the tree ‘小花’ (little flower) as per the recommendation of our little friends.” Sam from Nepal later shared with Hangzhoufeel.

Two days before Tree-Planting Day (which ushers in Friday), Hangzhou Jianggan’s Qianyun International Community welcomed some special guests. Despite an age gap, the kindergarten kids and 11 internationals from Zhejiang University of Technology paired in groups to celebrate the Tree-Planting Day.

 The activity began with a warm-up game asking the kids to sort out waste. “Fish bones go to the wet trash bin!” The kids, aged around 5, raised their hands with quick responses.

 Dr. Chen Guang, an associated researcher from Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences was invited to teach them the origin of China’s Arbor Day. She went on to describe bilingually the life of a tree, on how it grows, drinks, and breathes (known as photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration). “Do you know Tomb Sweeping Day used to serve as Tree-Planting Day?” Bending down on the kids’ eye level, she talked in a most gentle tone.

Dr. Chen Guang was encouraging kids to love the plants

  Chinese has a long tradition of planting willows on Tomb Sweeping Day. The year 1929 came the date change to March 12, in order to commemorate Sun Yat-sen, co-founder of the Kuomintang (KMT), who is widely regarded as the father of modern China.

 Friendships across age were well forged when the guests drew a “green future” together on a big banner. “What are we drawing?” “Flower!” Shy yet courageous, a little girl answered to her big friend in English.

         Internationals and kids drew a “green future”together

The event culminated with a tree adoption ceremony. With the names of both Chinese and internationals written on a tag, and hung on a cherry tree, the theme of the event,“Adults or Kids, Foreign or Native, We Stand as One”was highlighted