-Sihle Isipho Nontshokweni

You see, Christmas in my country, parallels China’s Spring Festival chūnjié 春节. A time of national movement: where loved ones move betwixt from urban to rural to find each other again, after a year of long labour & migration in the big cities.

After announcing that I was leaving home to move to China, the first question I was asked by family was: “Will you be back for Christmas?”

Being over 12000 km’s away from home, it came as a great relief to find out that The Centre for African Studies of Peking University（PKUCAS）was hosting a Christmas party for the Peking University African Student Association (P.U.A.S.A). This Christmas party was a festive celebration, the room we dined in was merry filled with the joyful spirit of Christmas. Glimmering lights hung on the trees as light conversations sparkled across the room. On the night we enjoyed an exquisite buffet with Chinese characteristics of course, Africans recited Chinese poems, whilst our Chinese friends performed Iɡ͡bo songs.  A real cultural exchange. We sang and danced and the from Africa to China team led in song, the audience quickly joined in dancing to the rhythmic sounds of African tunes.

It was fun and games till the knowledge crunch began, a competitive quiz on Africa-China facts. The room quickly became tense, hands sprung up in the air, one would attempt to answer before taking the time to think about the correct answer-the prizes were a strong incentive.

Below is a quiz I’d like you to also take generated from the China-Africa 500 facts, then share your answers in the comments section with us and the promise is to write back your score, to tell you how well you know your Africa-China facts?

 How well do you know your Sino-Africa? Take this Quiz

1. Which Tang Dynasty traveller was the first Chinese to set foot on the continent of Africa, according to historical records?

a.  Du Fu

b.  Du Mu

c.  Du Huan

d.  Li Bai

2. Which of the two types of mineral resources’ output in Africa ranks first in the world?

a.  Gold and diamond

b.  Gold and iron ore

c. Silver and iron ore

d. Diamond and silver

3. Where was the first China-Africa young leaders Forum held on May 21, 2011?

a.  Windhoek, Namibia

b.  Cairo, Egypt

c.  Nairobi, Kenya

d.  Dodoma, Tanzania

4. Which University set up the first Confucius Institute in the African continent in December 2005?

a.  The Cairo University in Egypt

b.  The University of Nairobi in Kenya

c.  The University of Cape Town in South Africa

d.  The University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa

5. What was the four point principle that President Xi Jinping proposed in his speech at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center in Tanzania on March 25 2013, to develop China’s relations with Africa?

a.  Intimacy, honesty, kindness, tolerance

b.  Sincerity, honesty, intimacy, kindness

c.  Sincerity, real results, affinity, good faith

d.  Intimacy, honesty, sincerity, real results

6.——————is China’s largest trading partner in Africa.

7.  —————– was the first Sub-Saharan African country to establish diplomatic relationships with China.

8. —————— is the only African country to designate the Spring Festival (Chinese Lunar New Year) as a national holiday.

9. Which of the following is called the “Railway of friendship between Africa and China,” which was built in the 20th with Chinese assistance?

a.  The Mombasa-Nairobi Railway

b.   The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway

c.   The Tanzania-Zambia Railway

d.  The Benguela Railway

10. How many members does the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation currently have?

a.  51

b.  52

c.  53

d.  54

11.—————– is Africa’s largest exporter of flowers and the worlds second largest.

12. South Africa joined the BRIC (Brazi, Russia, India and China group in———-, becoming the fifth member of the organisation known as BRICS.