For thousands of years, poetry has been the favorite type of literature for many in China. As China Highlights website noted, “Chinese literature is one of the major (主要的) parts of China's ancient traditions, and Chinese poetry is just like the best prize (瑰宝) in this famous culture's literary treasure house.”

    There were many famous poets from different periods of time in Chinese history, and thousands of their poems are still read and appreciated today.

    To remind people of those classic Chinese poems and to promote cultural heritage (遗产), China Central Television (CCTV) has produced a TV show – Chinese Poetry Competition. The finale of the hit show's second season was shown on Feb 7.

    Wu Yishu, 16, who studies at the High School Afliated to Fudan University in Shanghai, came out on top. In an earlier episode, Wu wowed the audience when performing in a section entitled “Feihualing”. The game's theme (主题) was “yue”, meaning “moon” or “month” in Chinese. She recited lines from the Classic of Poetry (《诗经》 ), the earliest collection of poems in China: “In July, the crickets are in the field; In August, they are in the yard; In September they are at the door; In October, the crickets enter and crawl under our beds.

    “I really admire her knowledge of poems,” said Huang Zijin, 16, a senior 2 student from Ningbo High School in Zhejiang province. “The first time I saw her wearing traditional Han clothing on TV, I was very impressed by her classical looks. She fulfills all my fantasies for classic Chinese women's talents. What's more, she always appears so calm throughout the show, which is very unusual for her age.”

    As the old saying goes: “One who is filled with knowledge always behaves with elegance (优雅).”

    “Learning poems isn't about winning or losing. The power of poetry lies in shaping one's view of life and developing one's inner world,” said Li Bo, an expert guest at the Chinese Poetry Competition's second season.

    When it comes to teaching people about poetry, Li Dingguang, the show's academic advisor, suggested that teachers should explain more about the beauty of the poetry from both the aesthetic (审美的) and emotional sides, and guide the student to lose themselves in the poems' rhythmic (有节奏的) and rhyming (押韵的) lines.

    “Although the proportion (比例) of ancient Chinese poems in the textbooks of primary and secondary schools has increased, many students still learn them for exams,” Li Dingguang told China.org.cn. “Therefore, it's important to help students truly appreciate the artistry and fun of poetry.”