导语：The Special Story of the Huayao Skylark Choir.In Longhui, Hunan, lies a renowned rural primary school. Perched in Caoyuan Village, it sits at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. In 2020, under the initiative of the volunteer teacher Ms. Huizi, the “Huayao Skylark Choir” was established at this school.“Skylark” embodies a wish—that every child may be as free and brave as the bird, using their voices to fly out of the mountains and express themselves.
The Diplomatic Journey of "Little White Boat"
— The Special Story of the Huayao Skylark Choir
By Xiao Xianhui
On a July afternoon in 2025, I received a call from Ms. Ren Jiayu, the editor-in-chief of the Diplomat magazine in Beijing. She informed me that on August 9th, she would be bringing a delegation of foreign diplomats to Longhui. On the 10th, the delegation would visit our school to sing Huayao folk songs with the children.
Since the head of this delegation was Mr. Kim Jin-gon, the Director of the Korean Cultural Center in China, Ms. Ren specially sent over a nursery rhyme widely circulated on the Korean Peninsula: “Little White Boat”. Translated into both Chinese and Japanese, it entered China in 1950 and is hailed as the "Eastern Hymn.”
On August 7th, over thirty children came to sign up. The next day, I organized them to begin rehearsals and they learned with exceptional dedication.
On the morning of August 10th, dressed in their finest Yao ethnic attire, the children arrived early, each carrying fresh flowers and green vines picked that very morning.
In the afternoon, I joined the children in weaving wreaths. The children were skilled and vied to display their creations.
At 17:00, the long-awaited moment finally arrived. When Ms. Ren led the delegation of envoys into campus, the diplomats greeted everyone in fluent Chinese, instantly bridging the distance. And that was where the friendship with the children began.
As the music began, the children started singing “Little White Boat”. Upon hearing the song, Director Kim and his wife from the Korean Cultural Center in China were instantly moved to tears. “My goodness, where am I? Have I returned to my hometown?” The song was not only a memory of their childhood but also carried the memory of a beautiful homeland from a time before the peninsula was divided. Mrs. Kim couldn't help but walk among the children, joyfully joining the chorus in Korean.
Next, the children invited the diplomats to dance the Huayao bamboo pole dance and to strut their stuff with a model walk on the playground. They took the diplomats to visit the school's labor base to pick cucumbers. Most unforgettable of all was when everyone formed a circle. The children took turns introducing themselves, and then the diplomats did the same, teaching the children a few simple phrases in their native languages. Director Kim was very excited, saying, “When I retire, will you welcome me here? I'll wait for you in Beijing, so we can sing this 'Little White Boat' together.”
At the end, children of the “Huayao Skylark Choir” once again waved their little hands, singing "Little White Boat."
Dai Meng from the choir said, "When Ms. Huizi told me I was going to meet the diplomats today, I was especially excited. I had even practiced, 'Nice to meet you.' I was completely stunned when they spoke to me in Chinese as soon as they walked in!"
Yuan Mengyao and Yuan Huiru from the choir said, “I think foreign languages are so interesting, and those diplomats are so amazing. When I grow up, I want to be a diplomat just like them!”
Even more touching was the fact that Ms. Ren and the diplomats took the bouquets and vines the children had given them all the way back to Beijing. She wrote on WeChat Moments, “After two days and two nights, flying nearly a thousand kilometers, I've brought back the best wished of the teachers and children from Caoyuan Primary School, along with their smiles.”
This special encounter planted beautiful seeds in the children's hearts.
“In that distant place, gold glimmers; the morning star is a lighthouse, illuminating our path forward.”
Everything is just the beginning.
I eagerly anticipate the day when I can lead the “Huayao Skylark Choir” from Caoyuan School to reunite with more diplomats, together boarding the little white boat of peace and love, sailing toward a bright distance!
In Longhui, Hunan, lies a renowned rural primary school. Perched in Caoyuan Village, it sits at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. In 2020, under the initiative of the volunteer teacher Ms. Huizi, the “Huayao Skylark Choir” was established at this school.
“Skylark” embodies a wish—that every child may be as free and brave as the bird, using their voices to fly out of the mountains and express themselves. From the initial 28 members to the current 48, more and more children have transformed from being shy to confidently standing on stage; from struggling with pitch, to singing harmoniously. The change is about more than just music.
