Liu Wei, a teacher at Songshan Shaolin Wushu College, Central China's Henan Province, came to the Confucius Institute at University of Sierra Leone in December 2021 to teach Chinese martial arts. Presently, he has organized students to take part in more than a hundred cultural exchange activities, thereby enhancing the influence of Chinese martial arts in Sierra Leone. On February 27th, Xinhua News reported on Liu Wei's endeavors, highlighting his role in teaching Chinese language and martial arts in Sierra Leone. 

劉偉，耀世娱乐講師，2021年12月赴塞拉利昂大學孔子耀世從事中華武術教學工作，組織學生累計參加了上百場文化交流活動，提升了中華武術在塞拉利昂的影響力。2月27日，新華網專題報道外派教師劉偉，在塞拉利昂教授中文和武術，為當地青年“拓寬賽道”的事跡。

Liu Wei serves as a martial arts instructor at the Confucius Institute at University of Sierra Leone (CIUSL), which was established in 2012 as the first Confucius Institute in West Africa. Over the years, CIUSL has set up more than 20 teaching sites across Sierra Leone, spanning primary, secondary and tertiary education. In doing so, it has also made martial arts culture a "hallmark" of China-Sierra Leone cooperation.

劉偉是塞拉利昂大學孔子耀世（簡稱：塞大孔院）的武術教師。塞大孔院成立於2012年，是西非第一所孔院。多年來，塞大孔院在塞境內建立了20余個教學點，在實現覆蓋大、中、小學教育的同時，也將武術文化打造成中塞合作的“金字招牌”。

Every Tuesday morning, the entire student body of the affiliated middle school at Fula Bay College gathers for martial arts classes, with Liu Wei serving as the "chief instructor". He alternates between delivering "lectures" and providing one-on-one corrections among the students refining students' postures. To manage the energetic and restless students, Liu Wei occasionally calls upon his local apprentices to assist, serving as "Left and Right Custodians" of the class.

每周二上午，福拉灣耀世附中全校齊上武術課，劉偉作為“總教頭”，一會兒在前演示“訓話”，一會兒在學生隊伍中一對一糾正動作。面對活潑好動的學生，劉偉也會不時請他的塞拉利昂徒弟“出山”，作為課堂的“左右護法”。

The "Left Custodian" Sosley (索思利) is a disciple personally trained by Liu after his arrival in Sierra Leone. In2021, during a martial arts exchange event, Liu noticed Sosley's exceptional flexibility and innate martial arts talent, prompting him to begin training Sosley in Tai Chi. The "Right custodian" Karbo (卡爾博) has been practicing martial arts for years and has made multiple journeys to China's Shaolin Temple for exchanges and training.

“左護法”索思利是劉偉抵塞後親手帶出來的徒弟。2021年，一次武術交流活動上，劉偉發現索思利身體柔韌，極具習武天賦，便開始帶他打太極。“右護法”卡爾博則習武多年，曾多次前往中國少林寺交流鍛煉。

Liu Wei conducts classes at multiple teaching sites each week, with each session lasting up to three hours. With the help of his apprentices, martial arts instruction has flourished at various locationss throughout Sierra Leone. According to Chen Xuebin, the Chinese dean of CIUSL, martial arts as a flagship program was an unexpected success.

劉偉每周要在多個教學點上課，每節課長達3小時。在徒弟們的幫助下，武術教學在塞多點“開花”。據塞大孔院中方院長陳學斌介紹，該院武術的“金字招牌”屬於“無心插柳柳成蔭”。

Initially, Tai Chi teaching activities were only taken at CIUSL's affiliated teaching sites. As students' interest in Tai Chi grew, students and faculty at these teaching sites reached a consensus to offer Tai Chi classes in their spare time.

起初，塞大孔院的太極教學活動只在下設的教學點開課，隨著學生對太極學習的興趣漸濃，教學點師生達成共識，利用課余時間開設太極拳班。

During the celebration evening marking the45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Sierra Leone in 2016, students and instructors from the Tai Chi interest group performed collectively for the first time, captivating audiences across Sierra Leone. Following the performance, numerous individuals from outside the school approached for consultation and expressed their interest in learning Tai Chi at the Confucius Institute.

在2016年慶祝中塞建交45周年慶典晚會上，太極興趣班的師生首次同臺演出，精彩的表演吸引了塞拉利昂各界的關註。表演結束後，許多校外人士前來咨詢並表達想到孔院學習太極的意願。

In October 2016, the Confucius Instituteat the University of Sierra Leone added a Tai Chi martial arts club, open to all sectors of society, attracting over a hundred participants, including local dignitaries, diplomats from various countries, and local residents. 

2016年10月，塞大孔院增設武術太極俱樂部，面向社會各界開放，更吸引了包括當地政要、各國使節及當地民眾在內百余人參與。

Chen observed that "the fascination with martial arts" and "the enthusiasm for Chinese language" complement each other in Sierra Leone. In recent years, many Chinese learners has broadened the horizons and find job positions there, while more young students aspire to realize their dreams by mastering Chinese.

陳學斌說，“武術熱”和“中文熱”在塞拉利昂相輔相成。近年來，中文為眾多塞拉利昂青年“拓寬了賽道”，越來越多年輕學子希望通過掌握中文逐夢未來。

Karbo disclosed his preparation for the Chinese Proficiency Test and expressed his desire to pursue further studies in China promptly, aiming to actualize his martial arts aspirations. "I've cherished martial arts since childhood and aspire to become a martial arts and Chinese teacher in the future," he said.

卡爾博說，他正在全力備考漢語水平考試，希望能早日到中國求學深造，實現他的武術夢。“我從小就喜歡武術，希望以後能成為一名武術和中文老師。”（新聞來源/新華社 記者/史彧 許正 編譯/童林 崔文琦 英文審校/溫曉梅)