Int'l bilingual volunteer tutor enhances cultural exchange at Liangzhu Museum in Hangzhou, E China's Zhejiang

Emma Chen serves as a bilingual volunteer tutor at the Liangzhu Museum in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province. She promotes the ancient Liangzhu Culture to both Chinese and international visitors in Chinese and English.

Photo shows Emma Chen, a bilingual volunteer tutor at the Liangzhu Museum in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Yuan Meng)

After completing her university studies in Chinese and Oriental studies in the U.S., Chen moved to China and has resided in Hangzhou for nearly a decade. Her passion for museums has taken her to notable historical sites and museums across China, including the Yinxu Museum, the Kuahu Bridge Site Museum and the Sanxingdui Museum.

Chen’s frequent visits to the Liangzhu Museum led to a fortuitous offer to volunteer, especially as the staff members became more and more familiar with her. "At one time when I came here, someone asked me if I wanted to be a volunteer. I was really excited because I've always wanted to do something like that," she explained, adding that this experience reflects "yuanfen," or a fateful coincidence and destiny, in Chinese.

The role of a bilingual volunteer tutor is challenging and demanding, requiring diligent daily study and research to accurately present the rich narratives of each exhibit. As such, she studies and does research about museums every day.

Emma Chen (left), a bilingual volunteer tutor at the Liangzhu Museum in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, explains an exhibit to a foreign visitor. (People's Daily Online/Yuan Meng)

Chen tailors her presentations to cater to the cultural backgrounds of her audiences, in both Chinese and English. "Absolutely there is a big difference between what I do in Chinese and what I do in English," she remarked, adding that it is because of the different cultural backgrounds. "Because our international audience don't know it well. We need to say more.”

She was attracted to Liangzhu Culture because the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City bears testimony to the existence of at least 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. "When I studied in university, I had a professor who said things like 'Chinese people always say they have 5,000 years of civilization, but it's not true, it's just a story.' At that time, I was researching China and I didn't know what to say. But after I came to Liangzhu, I can just give them the proof. After you have this tour, you'll understand what China was like 5,000 years ago, and what Chinese history was like 5,000 years ago." Chen enjoys promoting the culture of Liangzhu. "Besides that, we would make sure everyone has a good time when they visit here."

Photo shows Emma Chen, a bilingual volunteer tutor at the Liangzhu Museum in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (People's Daily Online/Yuan Meng)

Looking ahead and speaking about her future plans, Chen said, "I want to be able to do it more professionally. As an international person myself, I may know a little bit more about what the international audience wants, so I want to try to research this more to better explain the concepts to a foreign audience.”