A Joyful Summer in Lhasa: Children Spend Their Holidays Through Sports, Reading and Creative Learning
# Pasang Lhamu
As cool summer breezes sweep across the plateau, primary and secondary school students in Lhasa are spending their summer holidays in a lively and meaningful way through a wide range of educational, recreational and creative activities.
The sound of children’s laughter on sports grounds, warm and engaging tutoring sessions, quiet reading in libraries, and music from interest-based classes have made this year’s summer break especially vibrant. These diverse activities are giving children opportunities to step beyond their homes and regular classrooms, learn through practice and experience, and grow through creativity and participation.
During this year’s summer holiday, Lhasa’s youth and children’s model comprehensive practice center has introduced around eight specialized courses, including roller skating and basketball, for children and teenagers aged between 7 and 18. Registration places reportedly filled soon after the course schedule was released.
The enthusiasm among children taking part in roller-skating sessions has been clearly visible. One girl said she was delighted to have the opportunity to learn skating together with her friends during the holiday.
A public-interest summer childcare and learning program has also been organized in a community in the Karma Gonsar area. With support from the youth organization of Xizang University, young volunteers and the university’s Red Cross organization, 50 free places have been made available to children from six surrounding communities.
Under the program, volunteers help children complete their daily studies and homework in the morning while also involving them in recreational games. Afternoon sessions cover a range of topics, including first aid and emergency rescue science, protection of the plateau environment, standard-language learning, handicrafts promoting ethnic unity, mental health education, and legal and safety awareness.
The Lhasa City Library has also become an important center for children’s reading and creative activities during the summer break. Beginning on July 21, the library launched a 16-day summer reading program.
The program includes extracurricular reading and assistance with summer homework in the morning, followed in the afternoon by activities such as DIY handicrafts, folk-culture experiences, engaging science experiments, picture-book reading and thematic education related to patriotism.
Lhasa’s Children’s Palace has meanwhile arranged more than 30 training courses, including dance, fine arts, calligraphy, music, junior journalism, taekwondo and robot programming. The program provides children with multiple platforms to learn the arts, demonstrate their talents and develop their creative abilities.
This summer, children and teenagers in Lhasa are moving beyond the conventional classroom and participating in sports, study, community activities, arts and experiences connected with nature. Through physical exercise they are developing confidence and fitness, through group activities they are experiencing companionship, through reading they are broadening their knowledge, and through the arts they are strengthening their creativity.
In this way, the summer holiday in Lhasa has become more than a period of rest. It has developed into a meaningful childhood experience that combines learning, exploration, creativity and enjoyment.
