(Lesotho College of Education, 13 Jan. 2012)

Honourable 'Mannete Ramaili, Minister of Tourism, Environment and Culture,

Mr. Makalo Theko, Principal Secretary of the Ministry,

Other Senior Government officials,

Dr. John Oliphant, Rector of Lesotho College of Education,

Mr. Pan Jingxin, leader of the Chinese Pottery Arts Team,

Dear Trainees,

Friends from the news media,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning!

It is a great pleasure for me to attend this Official Opening ceremony of the Pottery Training Workshop. This Workshop is an important part of implementation of the Execution Plan 2009-2012 of the Cultural Cooperation Agreement between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Lesotho, with the aims to further strengthen cultural exchanges and the friendly cooperative relations between the two countries. For this, the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China has donated a set of equipment for pottery making and specially sent a three-member Pottery Arts Team to Lesotho, which is led by Mr. Pan Jingxin, Senior Arts & Crafts Master from Guangdong Bolin Institute of Art Pottery Sculpture. Other two members are Mr. Pan Zhenhui, also a pottery arts master, who has inherited the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Foshan City of Guangdong Province, and his works of arts have won several awards in the 8th National Masterpiece Expo of China Arts & Crafts, and Ms. Deng Xiaodan, a young and beautiful interpreter, who works as a narrator at the Foshan Zumiao Museum in Guangdong Province. Let us give them a big hand of welcome. I believe that with their rich experience and first-rate technique, they will give good lectures to all the trainees and help improve the skills of local pottery making.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As you may have noticed, China is an ancient civilized country with a long history. Its arts of pottery has been renowned to the world. China in English has two meanings, as a country or as porcelain. Pottery appeared in China as early as eight thousand years ago and Westerners later link the country and porcelain together because the manufacturing technique was invented by the Ancient Chinese. From the Han and Tang dynasties, Chinese porcelain wares and their manufacturing technique gradually spread all over the world and become a symbol of the Chinese culture. As a unique and important carrier, pottery or porcelain has recorded a lot of historical information of different periods of the Chinese history, from Neolithic Age to the modern time, without any interruption, making great contributions to the progress of human civilization. Basotho people also created their own culture and a different style of pottery works which is simple but natural. This workshop is a meaningful form of exchange between the cultural practitioners of our two countries. It is not only an exchange on skill or expertise, more so a meeting of minds and a dialogue between hearts. Through this exchange, I hope that both sides will have a deeper and better understanding of each other's cultural background and connotation, learn from each other and draw on experience of each other on the basis of mutual respect, jointly promote the dialogue between different civilizations and work for common progress. Through this training, the trainees would not only gain in your skill, but also gain in your life, to learn to improve yourself and learn to be a better man. Because as I know, pottery-making needs a calm-mind, one should never overexert himself, and should always guard against arrogance and rashness, so that you would someday come to realize the rule of life: haste brings no success.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Over the past years, China and Lesotho have enjoyed good bilateral relations. In the areas of culture, our two countries have conducted fruitful exchanges. In the year 2010, the Hunan Arts Troupe of China visited Lesotho and the Lesotho Arts Troupe made returned visit to Hunan and also gave wonderful performances at the Shanghai World Expo. Last December, I went to Morija Museum to attend an exhibition of works by Ms. Thakane Lerotholi, the renowned Basotho artist. She spent three months in the Chinese city of Shenzhen in 2010 at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Culture. I was deeply impressed by the vividness of her paintings and pottery figures. Further more that from Feb. 3-7, 2012, The Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe will pay a visit to Lesotho at the invitation by the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Culture of Lesotho, and I believe that this visit will definitely help further deepen the mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and the Basotho people.

This training workshop could not be possible without the joint efforts from both sides. So I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the Lesotho Government, to Hon. Minister Ramaili and her staff in the Ministry, for their hard work and good cooperation, and to Dr. Oliphant and his team for their thoughtful and wonderful arrangement for this Ceremony.

Finally, I wish the training workshop a complete success and the Chinese Team have a good time here in this beautiful Mountain Kingdom!

Thank you.