Perseverance Yields Great Results — On the Occasion of the Publication of "Ink Fragrance Under the Maple Leaves"

By Iwanami

On a snowy afternoon in Toronto, a large group of friends from cultural circles gathered at “Shuang Kuai Chinese School” for the book launch of “Ink Fragrance Under the Maple Leaves” and the awards ceremony for outstanding student essays, jointly organized by the “Zhou Enlai Foundation” and the “Canadian Chinese Writers Association.” Experts, scholars, and seasoned writers offered critiques of the children's works. This substantial volume, "Ink Fragrance Under the Maple Leaves," contains Chinese essays written by 330 elementary school students in Canada, showcasing the brilliant achievements of the children in their studies and the arduous efforts of the chief editor, Luo Yangfu, who "honed his sword for ten years."

Luo Yangfu is a person with both the intention and ambition to “hold up a sky.” He was born in Zhenfeng, Guizhou, in December 1975. He is of the Buyi ethnic group and obtained his Master's degree in Comparative Literature and World Literature from Guizhou Normal University in 2007. He has served as a professor at Guizhou Normal University, President of the Guizhou Provincial Writing Association, Deputy Secretary of the university's Disciplinary Committee, and Director of the Supervision Office. He participated in compiling the “Chinese Language” (five-year vocational teacher training textbook); presided over the 30th-anniversary academic conference of the association and organized a series of literary lectures, proposing the three-stage theory of writing: magnificent language use, mastery of writing techniques, and expression of philosophy and life. He has published many papers, including “A Tentative Analysis of the Educational Functions of Media and Rural Development” and "On the Transformation of Reading and Writing Behavior in the Era of Visual Culture," focusing on media literacy education, rural media development, and other fields. Since 2015, he has come to Toronto, Canada, becoming a practitioner deeply cultivating Chinese language education in a foreign land, an explorer in the fields of literature and writing, a founder and manager of overseas Chinese schools, and a disseminator and inheritor of Chinese culture. He currently serves as the "Principal of Toronto Shuang Kuai Chinese School," "Co-founder of Gengyou Education," and a council member of the Canadian Chinese Writers Association.

It is Luo Yangfu's ideal and pursuit to have Chinese descendants inherit excellent Chinese culture in foreign lands. Undoubtedly, this ideal and pursuit possesses wise insight, thorough scientific consideration, and operability, as well as immeasurable profound significance. Otherwise, Luo Yangfu couldn't have done it for ten consecutive years. How many decades can a person have in a lifetime? And what Luo Yangfu has dedicated is precisely the golden decade of his prime. Hard work pays off; the children's excellent Chinese essays are the best reward for his diligent efforts. Parents who can send their children to Luo Yangfu's “Shuai Kuai” school can be said to share the same vision and ideal as Luo Yangfu. This is because Chinese culture, spanning five thousand years, is brilliant and splendid. From the various philosophical schools engraved in the history of Chinese culture, to the Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism that led the cultural currents, as well as the poetry and prose of the Chu and Han dynasties, the Tang poems and Song lyrics, and the dramas and novels of the Ming and Qing dynasties, there have been continuous peaks and a long, flowing tradition, possessing irreplaceable cultural significance throughout the world. It is no exaggeration to say that it is a very important issue how children living in an English-speaking environment can inherit and possess the excellent traditions of Chinese culture, and Luo Yangfu is precisely a pioneer who leads parents to solve this problem.

Professor Luo Yangfu, Director of the Chinese-Canadian Writers Association

The history of Chinese people traveling across the oceans to overseas lands is long; after the reform and opening-up, even more people have gone abroad. Seeking development in a new environment, which may be better, faster, and more suitable for oneself, is originally beyond reproach. Many parents have brought up this issue: after their children immerse themselves completely in an English-speaking environment, they often lose interest in the Chinese language and the vast and profound Chinese culture, becoming “bananas” - yellow on the outside and white on the inside. They have the appearance of Chinese people but no longer possess Chinese culture. Many children of Chinese descent even cannot speak Chinese. Language is the tool and carrier for expressing thoughts, constructing thinking, and recording civilization. The Chinese language, in particular, has a unique structure and expression, with a tenacious vitality for self-improvement and self-development, standing out with unique charm within the scope of all human languages. With China's increasing influence, many countries are popularizing Chinese language education. For descendants of Chinese people, abandoning the Chinese language tradition is truly a great loss. Luo Yangfu and a group of like-minded individuals, precisely to avoid and salvage this loss, have diligently and arduously worked, dedicating a great deal of effort and exerting themselves to popularize and improve the Chinese language proficiency of overseas Chinese descendants. They have achieved great success, truly contributing to the present and benefiting future generations.

A university professor and doctoral supervisor who read the children's essays in “Ink Fragrance Under the Maple Leaf‘ said, ’The Chinese proficiency of this group of young Chinese-American authors has reached at least HSK Level 5. In fact, these children would surely be more than capable of handling the ”writing' portion of HSK Level 6, with some likely reaching Level 9. Some of the excellent essays are no less than the writing level of a Chinese high school student." The difficulty of learning Chinese lies partly in communication and partly in writing, but writing better reflects the level of Chinese learning, as word choice and sentence construction in writing are more vivid, rigorous, and profound than in oral communication, and thus better demonstrate actual proficiency. Luo Yangfu has put the most effort into this aspect. He particularly values the cultivation of children's writing skills. This seems to be closely related to his early experience as the president of the Provincial Writing Society, which gave him relevant experience and led to the formation of mature concepts.

Canada is a country that advocates for and protects multiculturalism, without discrimination or favoritism towards the cultures of any ethnic group or race. This provides an objective guarantee for the work of insightful individuals like Luo Yangfu. In such an environment, fully leveraging one's subjective initiative will undoubtedly lead to achievements and significant accomplishments. Another characteristic of multiculturalism is that it facilitates the horizontal comparison of various cultures. In this comparison, popularizing the Chinese language and culture is even more conducive to identifying one's own shortcomings and making improvements and extensions. This is because Chinese culture possesses a strong vitality for self-development and renewal, with infinitely vast development space, and is constantly evolving. Promoting this growth is the ideal and pursuit of every insightful person who loves the Chinese language and culture. “He who does not plan for eternity cannot plan for the present; he who does not plan for the whole cannot plan for a part.” The ancient sages' aphorisms and maxims should serve as a motto. It is on this foundation that insightful individuals like Luo Yangfu are moving forward, step by step, with solid progress! Blessings to Luo Yangfu and his school!

[Author Introduction] Yanbo, originally named Li Chongyuan, is a contemporary writer. He currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Canadian Chinese Writers Association and a member of the Chinese Writers Association. He has published over 20 full-length novels, totaling more than 6 million characters, including “The Republic of the Ideal,” “Red Star Spectrum,” “Unlocking,” "Wolf Mountain," "King Pigeon," "Diet, Men and Women," and "Secret War." His novel "Male Superior and Female Superior" won third prize in the realistic literature category of the 2011 "Changjiang Cup." His novel "The Female Municipal Party Secretary's Male Secretary" ranked in the top 5 of the "Sina China Best Books List" for four consecutive years from 2011 to 2014. His short story "Father and Son" was recognized by Guizhou Literature as one of the "Top 100 Writers of 2015." His lyrics "Yan'an Love" and "Hold Mother's Hand" won silver awards in national competitions, and "Tianjin Folk Song" won a gold award in a national competition. In 2017, he was honored with the title of "Golden Lyricist of Chinese Songs" by the China Popular Music Association. His full-length documentary literature "The Stormy Maowusu" has been recommended by multiple national ministries. "Underground Traffic Station," "Divorced Man," "The Stars Shine Bright Tonight," and "Antique Circle" are featured programs on Tianjin People's Radio. Yanbo's works are distributed domestically and internationally, establishing him as a writer of considerable talent and influence.