A CHINESE YSU STUDENT CELEBRATED NEW YEAR IN ARMENIAN TRADITIONS

Narrated by Feng himself.

My love for the Armenian language brought me to Armenia, the YSU Faculty of Armenian Philology.

I used to read about Armenia and Armenians at an early age. I was most interested in the famous Armenian historical characters Tigran the Great and Davit of Sasun. For many years, I have been dreaming of coming to Armenia and comprehensively studying the Armenian language. Learning Armenian was made easier by studying linguistics in Indonesia for about six years. I was sure that Yerevan State University is the leading educational center in Armenia, where I can get a quality education and become a sought-after specialist.

I also study Armenian dialects with great interest.

It was important for me to study at such a university, which would be provided with the latest technologies, and a library with the necessary literature. Although the first year of studying at YSU coincided with the epidemic period, the quality of education did not suffer from it. I can say that thanks to the university, thanks to the knowledge I got today, I live in Armenia and am extremely self-confident.

YSU is a place where, apart from quality education, it is possible to achieve many achievements of inestimable value.

Thanks to the knowledge I gained at the university, I translate classical poetry from ancient Chinese into Armenian. This is, of course, a significant achievement, but it is also of great value to meet new people while studying at the university. It is interesting to communicate with such people, with whom one of the key topics of conversation is the education provided by Yerevan State University, the opportunities provided, etc.

There are cultural similarities between the Armenians and Chinese people.

I could never have imagined that two countries so far apart could have such cultural similarities. It is interesting that for both Armenians and Chinese, one of the high social values is the family and it holds the first and most important place.

It is interesting to celebrate the New Year with other traditions...

In southern China, where I lived, a mandarin tree is used instead of a Christmas tree. In our region, you should eat apples on New Year's Eve, because according to tradition, it is considered a symbol of peace and tranquility. Celebrating holidays in Armenia has different peculiarities. I have almost no Chinese friends here, but my Armenian friends who recently returned from China brought Chinese spices with them, which I will use in New Year's dishes. Apart from that, I have already managed to discover Armenian culture to some extent. Unlike the previous years, this time I will celebrate the New Year with my friend in one of the villages of Armenia with Armenian traditions.

My New Year's wish is...

Peace is one of the important and main factors due to which people's right to education is not violated. I want 2023 to be a year of peace and solidarity, and the cherished wishes of the Armenian people will be fulfilled.

Marine Mkrtchyan