"Junior Ambassadors" take a group photo with staff members at the Belgian Embassy. Photo: Courtesy of the Belgian Embassy in Beijing

Recently, the Belgian Embassy in Beijing welcomed four students from Shijia Primary School. As part of their "Junior Cultural Ambassadors" project, the students visited the embassy to get a better understanding of Belgium and the political, economic and cultural importance of an embassy. The junior ambassadors came well prepared with lots of questions on Belgium for the Consul General and the country's culture, in particular comic books and gastronomy. 

The students knew a great deal already about Belgian comic book culture such as Tintin and The Smurfs. The Consul General showed them the new Belgian passport, each page of which represents one of the country's famous comic books. The students were excited to receive Belgian-themed gift bags, with Tintin comic books inside. 

The embassy also received lovely, thoughtful gifts from the students, some representing traditional Chinese culture, and some presenting the great work they have done for this cultural exchange project. This exchange was a great way to promote better understanding of both Chinese and Belgian culture, and bring people of different ages, backgrounds and nationalities together.