Fanning flames of friendship | The Star

SJK(C) Poay Wah pupils T. Haresh and Adam Mikhail Muhammad Khairul, both 10, were seen swaying to a K-pop dance performed by a group of Korean exchange programme students at the school in Tanjung Bungah, Penang.

Haresh, a K-pop fan who likes Korean global sensation BTS, and Adam, clearly enjoyed the variety of performances put up by the 16 Korean students, aged 11 to 13.

Accompanied by six teachers, the students were visiting the school as part of their week-long exchange programme to Penang, which included visits to several other educational institutions.

The children playing a game together.— Photos: CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

Their visit prompted the school’s board to hold an early Chinese New Year celebration to allow the Korean children to experience the festival.

Haresh and Adam were among the 167 pupils from Year One to Year Six and 17 teachers who hosted the visitors.

Excitement was in the air when the Korean group was welcomed into the school hall with the sounds of Chinese drums and cymbals accompanying a lion dance performance.

Lantern-making session using ang pow packets. — Photos: CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

School board of directors’ representative Datuk Khor Kai Keng said in his speech that the visit would likely encourage more Korean students and their families to come to Penang to experience its culture, food and lifestyle.

Headmistress Lim Lay Imm said the programme fostered cross-cultural understanding.

“We chose to have an early Chinese New Year celebration as it presented a great opportunity for our Korean friends to have a better understanding of how the Chinese in Malaysia celebrate the Lunar New Year.

“The exchange programme is not only about academic learning but also about building connections, forging friendships and gaining a deeper understanding about each other’s cultures,” she said.

Lim also urged her pupils to embrace the opportunity to learn from their new Korean friends, given that through the programme, they would have a chance to weave bonds that transcended borders.

Also present were Parent-Teacher Association chairman Terry Ong Chun Wei, Alumni Association chairman Leong Hong Lin and Koinonia Culture Centre director Park Jong Don, who was responsible for bringing the Korean students under the programme.

Korean students performing a fan dance at SJK(C) Poay Wah in Tanjung Bungah, Penang. — Photos: CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

After the welcome ceremony, the Korean and SJK(C) Poay Wah pupils along with their teachers enjoyed three hours of fun.

There were performances of Chinese New Year songs, a sketch titled “Memories of my grandma”, Korean fan dance, wushu performance, a fusion of taekwondo and K-pop dance as well as a blend of lion dance and K-pop dance.

The children and teachers also received ang pow and mandarin oranges at the event with the God of Prosperity mascot making his rounds.

The highlight of the celebration was the ‘Lou Sang’ tossing by representatives from the school and their Korean visitors.

The pupils and visitors then took part in fun activities such as Chinese calligraphy and lantern making.

In one corner, girls were helped by the Korean teachers to wear the hanbok, a traditional Korean outfit.

Spotted in another corner making lucky bags were Brendan Soon Qin Ye and Shawn Lee Shan Wei, both 12.

The boys said they found the visitors to be very friendly and enjoyed learning Korean words.

“I like their culture, dance and food. I hope to visit South Korea one day,” said Qin Ye.