The Office of International and Cross-Strait Affairs and Ginling Girls’ High School(Ginling)’s “Holding Hands Project” activity aims to expand students’ international perspective, enhance English communication skills, and increase exchange opportunities between the two schools. On December 7, the “Second Foreign Language Press Conference” was held at Ginling, attended by nearly 70 teachers and students from Ginling, and 3 overseas students from Japan, South Korea, and France from Tamkang. On December 9, the “MRT Journey” was held, during which Ginling Students led Tamkang overseas students on a tour of famous landmarks in Taipei via MRT, with nearly 90 teachers and students participating.

The “Second Foreign Language Press Conference” event arranged for TKU Haruka YokoYama, a junior student of Department of Diplomacy and International Relations from Japan, Saina Bennai, a freshman student of Department of Chinese Literature from France, Jung Seong Woo, sophomore student of the English-Taught Bachelor Program of Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering from Korea to join the second foreign language Japanese, French, and Korean classes at Ginling, respectively, to share their home country’s culture with the students. Ginling students interacted with the overseas students through press conference questions and introduced them to high school life, school clubs, and campus environment.

The “MRT Journey” event saw all participating teachers and students divided into 11 groups, taking the MRT to various tourist attractions such as Lungshan Temple, National Chang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Dadaocheng, Ximending, and National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, where Ginling students introduced relevant information and historical origins to Tamkang overseas students in English. The event also included a double-decker bus experience, trying on cheongsams and Chinese-style clothing, and watching the guard-changing ceremony to help the overseas students understand local Taiwanese culture. Despite the rain, the students had an unforgettable experience.

Haruka YokoYama said she was very happy to be able to introduce Japanese culture to everyone through this event. The enthusiasm of the Ginling students and their love for Japanese culture left a deep impression on her. Saina Bennai thanked the Office of international Affairs for the opportunity to share French culture with everyone. “Participating in this event was a fun experience for me,” she said. Participating in the MRT Journey, Aoumi Haruka, a senior student of from Department of Diplomacy and International Relations from Japan, said she really enjoyed the trip, not only experiencing tradition Taiwanese culture, but also making many new friends from different countries. She was also surprised by the taste of roast sweet potato, and if there are similar events in the future, she would recommend friends to join.