The first Chinese language teaching center established in the ancient Incan capital of Cusco, Peru, has sparked a wave of enthusiasm for learning about Chinese culture in the local community, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute in Peru told the Global Times.
Established by the Confucius Institute at Ricardo Palma University in Peru, the center in Cusco currently has five classes with 54 students. Many are tour guides or university students hoping to enhance their career prospects and find opportunities with Chinese enterprises in the future, according to Sun Yan, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute at Ricardo Palma University.
Cusco is not only one of Peru’s top tourist destinations but also an ancient capital of a civilization with immense historical significance. It attracts visitors from around the world. “Our market research shows that despite the thriving tourism industry, there has been no channel for Chinese language learning here,” Sun noted.
After confirming plans to open the Chinese language center, Sun and other representatives from the Confucius Institute made multiple visits to Cusco and eventually secured a two-story building in the city, with classrooms and a library, to serve as a teaching facility. The institute also dispatched two Chinese language teachers to launch the program.
Since its opening, the center has ignited strong interest in Chinese language and culture. “When I walk through the streets and eat at local restaurants, small business owners recognize us,” Sun said. “Some restaurant owners even hug us, saying they want to learn Chinese—even the Korean restaurant owner said the same. Some of our Confucius Institute students are now working as tour guides, and they’re eager to continue studying Chinese so they can become Chinese-speaking tour guides,” she said.
Recognizing Cusco’s status as a major tourism hub, the Confucius Institute faculty team is developing practical Chinese language materials, including Chinese for tourism, hotel services, and transportation. The materials will cover situational dialogues and industry-specific vocabulary, ensuring students can apply the language in practice.
The teaching center not only offers structured Chinese language courses but also introduces the richness of Chinese culture to local residents through interactive activities such as cultural lectures, tai chi lessons, calligraphy, and paper-cutting workshops.
A unique Chinese Culture Experience Day was held recently at the center, during which participants engaged in the activities and gained a firsthand appreciation of the charm of Chinese culture. “I think it’s very interesting that they can present traditions and activities here in Cusco, and that we can also learn from this culture.
I think it’s important to immerse ourselves in Chinese culture through these kinds of activities—like paper-cutting, calligraphy, Chinese knots—so we can experience these aspects of Chinese culture, not just the language,” a local student said after the paper-cutting session.
Sun said that Chinese language teaching is opening a window for cultural exchanges on the Andean plateau.
“Local people have been very warm and welcoming. At our events, some people even traveled four hours to Cusco just to take part. Many had little prior knowledge of China, so introducing Chinese classes will be an important step in cultural exchange, bringing Chinese culture to a city with its own rich and ancient heritage,” she added.