20 YOUTH | Campus Wednesday, August 15, 2018 CHINA DAILY STRENGTH IN NUMBERS The burgeoning popularity of Sudoku in China is not only improving youngsters’ logical thinking, but fueling success at international competitions, Xing Wen reports.

t’s Friday, and 500 pri­ mary school and junior David Feng shares stories about China’s highspeed railway high school students sit system on a train trip from Beijing to Shanghai. in a hall in Xianghe CHEN WEISONG / FOR CHINA DAILY Icounty, North China’s Hebei province, each using a pencil to fill in the empty squares of a grid that is divided into nine blocks of nine squares each. Train fan takes These young finalists have been selected from the pre­ liminary contests of this year’s national junior Sudoku com­ the online route petition which were held in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou and 15 other cities across the BEIJING — David Feng is ports, calling them ‘rail­ country. Some of them are not a train worker nor a fre­ ports’,” Feng says. hoping to gain entry into the quent business traveler. He also likes correcting 2018 China Sudoku Champi­ However, in the first five the English translations at onship on Saturday, where months of 2018, he made 166 stations. they will fight for the opportu­ train journeys, traveling “Chinese high­speed rail­ nity to represent the country 53,000 kilometers across ways use the best trains, so at this year’s World Sudoku China. naturally, they should use Championship in Prague, the The Chinese­Swiss train correct English too,” he says. capital of the Czech Republic. aficionado has become an He once saw a ticket The numerical puzzle, first online celebrity for his lives­ machine with a sign that created by a Swiss mathemati­ treaming of Chinese railway said “buffet ticket office”, and cian in the 1780s, is now grip­ lines, stations and trains of a ticket counter called “artifi­ ping China. various kinds. cial ticket office”. The country boasts 20 mil­ Over the past decade, Feng So, Feng decided to start a lion Sudoku lovers and, has visited over 2,300 Chi­ column called “Railway according to Xu Yan, deputy nese railway stations out of English” on his Sina Weibo secretary general of the Bei­ overseas Sudoku events, as the more than 3,000 spread microblog to bring attention jing Sudoku Association, the these provide young Sudoku across the country. And he is to the incorrect translations. craze can be traced back to players a platform to flex their now making a documentary And it was not long before a 2007 when a Chinese squad muscles, test themselves and called Next Station: China, railway bureau noticed his debuted in the World Sudoku learn from their role models. where he plans to capture microblog and invited him Championship after China Arguably, one such role more than 2,200 stations to give a lecture. was granted membership of model is 18­year­old Chen Shi­ around the country. He is now a regular visitor World Puzzle Federation — yu, considering that she So far, he has filmed more to several bureaus for the organizer of the competi­ ranked fourth at the WSC in than 300 stations. English instruction. tion. 2016 and received an offer to Feng, who was born in His book, 1,000 Sentences Xu, being among the first attend the Massachusetts 1982 and grew up in Switzer­ for Passenger Service, was group of Chinese participants Institute of Technology earlier land, completed his under­ published in 2017. And with­ in the WSC, says her experi­ this year. graduate, master’s and out any promotion, the first ence at the international event Chen grew stronger with doctorate degrees in broad­ batch of 3,000 books sold out gave her great confidence for the puzzle’s burgeoning popu­ casting and communica­ in two weeks, purchased the development of Sudoku in larity in China, regularly tions in China, and is now an mainly by employees of Chi­ China, which she believes has attended Sudoku events held associate professor at the na’s railway system. a promising future. by the Beijing Sudoku Associ­ Communication University So, the publishing house “The intellectual pursuit ation since 2013 and, as a of China. soon printed 10,000 more was introduced relatively late result, fought her way onto the His interest in China’s rail­ books. in China,” says Xu. “I hope national junior Sudoku team. way system began 10 years Separately, he has also that, with a few years of sys­ She says what appeals to her ago when he first took the helped to compile a hand­ tematic training, we can con­ is the logic behind the digits Beijing­Tianjin intercity book of everyday English tinue to send excellent players and the variation of the ques­ train, China’s first high­ terms for Beijingers to pre­ to compete on the global tion types in Sudoku. speed railway line inaugu­ pare for the 2022 Winter stage.” As a soon­to­be applied rated on Aug 1, 2008. Olympic Games. In the years following the math major at MIT, the Bei­ The train’s top speed of Recently, Feng visited the foundation of the Beijing jing native says the game over 300 km per hour sur­ construction site of the new Sudoku Association in 2012, helps her stay focused on prised him, as it was 50 per­ airport in Beijing, which will Xu and other Sudoku lovers study, because solving the cent faster than the trains he be a major transportation spared no effort in promoting puzzle requires 100 percent took in Germany. hub not only for airlines, but the puzzle, delivering speech­ concentration and allows no “It was like stepping into also for railways, metros and es in communities and room for error. the 22nd century,” he recalls. highways. schools, organizing events for Ming Letian, who failed to Since then, Feng has taken Speaking about his visit, various age groups and even get full marks in mathematics numerous trains in China he says: “There is no word in designing Sudoku teaching by just 0.5 point in his senior and posted what he saw and English that can describe the materials and courses for dif­ high school entrance exami­ thought on websites. magnificent view of this new ferent levels. nations this summer, agrees “China’s railway system is airport.” “Children are in need of an that Sudoku is conducive to advanced, and there is noth­ Meanwhile, Feng likes extra class that can improve lifting academic ability. ing wrong with bragging offering advice to the railway their logical thinking skills. As the winner of this year’s about it,” he says. authorities. And in 2013, he The puzzle is an alternative junior event, he says that China had 25,000 km of came up with 100 sugges­ avenue for them,” says Xu, Sudoku contests offer him an high­speed railway lines by tions, such as developing adding that further coopera­ opportunity to position him­ the end of 2017, accounting train coaches with transpar­ tion with schools is underway. self among his peers and com­ for 66 percent of the world’s ent roofs to allow for sight­ Will Shortz, chairman of From top: Ming Letian, a junior high school student from Dalian, gives a demonstration after winning at municate with Sudoku total. seeing. World Puzzle Federation, says a national junior Sudoku contest held on Friday in Hebei province; students from primary schools and masters. So far, Feng has lives­ Feng’s Chinese wife, who it was impressive to see China junior high schools solve Sudoku puzzles at the national junior event; parents watch a monitor to track “I’m obsessed with the treamed in English to neti­ he met during their doctor­ develop children from a very their child’s performance in the contest hall. PHOTOS BY XING WEN / CHINA DAILY sense of achievement after I zens all around the world, on ate studies, supports his pas­ young age to solve Sudoku have worked out a solution,” topics ranging from the sion and they sometimes puzzles and become enthusi­ says the rising star who also opening ceremonies of new take trains together. asts, especially given their out­ here, as this event has a much the national team was just 17. tion or linguistic ability and competed in Saturday’s China high­speed railway lines to According to current Chi­ standing performances in bigger base than any other “In many domestic Sudoku needs only a small amount of Sudoku Championship. the Spring Festival travel nese regulations, Feng will both team and individual country.” events, the under­8 group usu­ mathematical skill. He has never concealed his rush, the world’s largest sea­ qualify to apply for perma­ events at the WSC in recent “The players get younger,” ally turns out to be the largest “It’s a good pastime for the ambition to be a Sudoku star, sonal migration. nent residence in China in years. Xu says, recalling that when one,” Xu says. whole family,” he says. “What concluding: “I want to repre­ His broadcasts have 2020. “Our mission is to increase she attended the WSC in 2007, Luan Xiaozhou, a Sudoku we gain from figuring out the sent China on the internation­ drawn the attention of neti­ “I will definitely apply for the interest of people around she was 36 years old and the teacher from Dalian, says the fastest way to complete the al stage as a national team zens from Asia, Europe and it and continue to spread the the world in intelligent puz­ only juvenile player in the main appeal of the intellectual puzzle is how to become better member.” the United States. word about Chinese railway zles and bring puzzle lovers national team was 15 years game is that it is accessible to problem solvers.” “An Indian netizen said culture,” he says. together socially,” says the old. Last year, however, the most people because it does Luan encourages his follow­ Contact the writer at the new high­speed railway chairman. “That’s happening average age of the members of not require any formal educa­ ers to attend domestic and [email protected] stations in China are like air­ XINHUA

paid a great deal of attention to the discussions on educa­ BRICS helps build youth ties tional exchanges at this year’s BRICS Summit. I hope we can have more trained Chinese XIAMEN — To Strauss’ China because the country is BRICS countries, we can In 2016, Hugo won a schol­ teachers from both countries.” Radetzky March, Marianna relatively unknown to her and understand each other much arship offered by the Chinese In May, Hugo passed the Donner, a Russian ballet has many opportunities, and better.” government to study at Xia­ HSK 6, the highest level Chi­ teacher, instructs three girls at she fell in love with Xiamen Wilma Hugo, a South Afri­ men University. nese language test designed the Banlam Grand Theater in thanks to its good weather, can student at Xiamen Univer­ “The more Chinese I learn, for non­native speakers. Xiamen, East China’s Fujian nice environment and friendly sity, has spent more time than the better I get to know China,” “I was glad that I passed province. people. usual on the internet looking says Hugo. “The country is such a difficult exam, and it Donner, who started learn­ Xiamen hosted the BRICS at news about the BRICS sum­ developing quickly and is makes me more confident ing ballet as a 7­year­old, has summit in September 2017, mit recently. After studying more open than ever. In addi­ about starting my career been a dancer for 24 years which showcased cooperation how to teach Chinese at the tion, it has developed good teaching Chinese,” she said. before she left her Russian between the world’s major university for more than two bilateral relationships with Hugo reads ancient Chinese hometown of Yaroslavl last emerging markets: Brazil, years, she is about to start an many African countries.” Wilma Hugo, a South African student at Xiamen University, talks classics, including The Ana­ April to work as a ballet teach­ Russia, India, China and internship as a Chinese teach­ Hugo was happy to see the with a Chinese classmate. The 28­year­old plans to become a lects of Confucius. er in Xiamen. South Africa. er in her hometown of Worces­ recent BRICS Summit being Chinese teacher in her hometown. LIN SHANCHUAN / XINHUA “The stories teach us many Since then, Donner has In her opinion, BRICS has ter, a city 1,000 kilometers held in South Africa this year. principles on how to conduct taught more than 50 students. helped to promote people­to­ south of Johannesburg. “The event will help more ourselves. They are meaningful “Ballet to Russia is what people exchanges and to Hugo has been interested in Chinese people to learn about tures, and the event is like an es in 500 primary and high even today,” said Hugo. “I will Peking opera is to China,” says embrace cultural diversity. Chinese kung fu movies since Johannesburg, just as South incentive to do so,” she says. schools in five years. introduce them to my students Donner. “I am honored to act “I am interested in China’s childhood and, in 2010, she Africans learned about Xia­ In 2016, South Africa’s “There is a fervor for learn­ in South Africa to show them as a cultural ambassador in kung fu tea and I would also started to learn Chinese at men last year. People from Department of Basic Educa­ ing Chinese in South Africa. the charming Chinese culture.” Xiamen.” like to learn yoga,” says Don­ Stellenbosch University in both countries will gain a clos­ tion announced that they However, more Chinese teach­ Donner says she came to ner. “With closer ties between South Africa. er insight into each others’ cul­ planned to open Chinese class­ ers are needed,” says Hugo. “I XINHUA