Confucian Research Articles

Postgraduate Students’ Engagement in Cooperative EFL Writing: An Investment Perspective

The past few decades have foregrounded cooperative learning and its pedagogical implications for students’ academic, psychological, and social gains, particularly, in the Western context. These gains, nonetheless, were sometimes questioned and doubted in the Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) countries such as China. This study adopts Norton’s investment model and seeks to investigate Chinese postgraduate students’ experiences of cooperative writing in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classrooms in a local context. The focus is particularly on the mechanism of Chinese students’ engagement/disengagement with cooperative learning and the multiple influences on it. Analysis of the data set, which includes five focus group interviews with postgraduate students from a local university in mid-western China, shows that Chinese students’ group engagement patterns may vary and be closely linked with their current and imagined identities/communities that engagement in cooperative writing could bring to them. Implications are then drawn to better realize the potential of cooperative learning in the identified context and beyond.

EFL Teachers’ Emotions Toward Online-Merge-Offline Teaching Mode in University

The Online-Merge-Offline (OMO) teaching mode has emerged as a prominent new approach in language education reform with the expansion of online teaching in China. Due to the emotional complexity involved in educational reforms, this study explores the emotions expressed by Chinese EFL teachers in OMO classes, investigates the situational causes, and examines emotion regulation strategies in English Language Teaching. A questionnaire was distributed to 48 Chinese EFL teachers teaching General English (GE) using OMO mode across three normal universities, followed by semi-structured interviews for deeper insights. After collecting and analyzing data from questionnaires and interviews, the findings revealed a spectrum of emotions were experienced by EFL teachers, with positive emotions prevailing, particularly in GE classes. Love, surprise, and joy were prominent across different settings. Situational triggers encompassed classroom dynamics, institutional factors and social influences; reflecting teachers’ beliefs and identities, students’ learning engagement, behavior and academic achievements, colleagues and administrators’ work support and emotional support, policy makers’ reform mandate, and the Confucian heritage cultures. To regulate positive and negative emotions, Chinese EFL teachers primarily employed appraisal, followed by situation modification and selection. This study underscores the importance of emotional awareness for both students’ learning achievement and teachers’ professional development in ELT. It encourages Chinese EFL teachers to recognize the significance of their emotions in teaching effectiveness and offers insights for educators and administrators into supporting teachers’ emotional well-being and professional growth.

Morality through the lens of Confucian heritage countries: collective self variations and moral worldviews.

The issue of Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) samples dominating research has been ongoing for decades, and now the emerging trend is to turn to theoretical perspectives from the Majority World. Adopting Western-centric methods based on reductionism can overlook important details and differences between similar cultures, particularly in East Asian cultures, where the Confucian values of relational harmony take many forms. We discuss a novel theoretical perspective on moral constitutions in Confucian heritage cultures. Our central tenet is that divergent moral concepts and ideals are present in Confucian cultures because each culture emphasizes a specific pillar and the self is situated differently in the social relationships that define the scope of interpersonal moral obligations. We consider three Confucian countries: China, Japan, and South Korea as examples. Despite geographical proximity and conventional categorization in cultural psychology, each Confucian country manifests distinct patterns of the self, moral ideals, and behavior in socio-moral contexts. To understand how and why moral worldviews vary within a region, we need to examine how the self in socio-cultural contexts differs and guides interpersonal norms and behaviors across sociocultural contexts. We conclude this paper by offering methodological recommendations for including indigenous moral concepts outside the WEIRD context.

오성다도(五性茶道)의 수양론과 서양철학의 비교 연구

This study explores the philosophical system of Oseong Tea Ceremony, founded by Ahn park Jong-han, and seeks to examine its integrative potential through a comparison with Western philosophy. Oseong Tea Ceremony emphasizes moral growth and holistic human cultivation by nurturing five qualities: physicality, spirituality, sociality, individuality, and sensibility. Ahn park Jong-han merged the traditional thoughts of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism to pursue inner development through tea ceremonies, which holds significant relevance in modern society. While existing research has inadequately compared Oseong Tea Ceremony with Western philosophy, this study aims to present the contemporary significance and philosophical similarities of Oseong Tea Ceremony through comparisons with plato's tripartite theory of the soul, Kant's moral philosophy, and Martin Buber's philosophy of relation. Through this analysis, the study discusses how Oseong Tea Ceremony can be established as a practical philosophy for holistic human growth.

The Christian interpretations on the nature of heaven’s mandate in late Ming and early Qing dynasties

This paper aims to examine in detail the Christian interpretations on the Confucian concept of the nature of the heaven’s mandate [天命之性] during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties from historical and textual perspective. Neo-Confucians of the Song Dynasty interpret the nature of the heaven’s mandate as human nature, believing that heaven endowed humans with reason, known as the heavenly principle [天理]. In the late Ming period, Christian missionaries such as Jesuits in China used Confucian classics to convey Christian thoughts, interpreting the heaven’s mandate as God’s mandate and the nature of the heaven’s mandate as the spirituality bestowed by God, which is equated with the soul. They also used the nature of the heaven’s mandate as a criterion for determining the authenticity of a teaching (religion[教]), asserting that Christianity is the true teaching (religion). Thus, Christianity in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties provides a new interpretation on the nature of the heaven’s mandate and promotes the integration of Christian and Confucian thoughts through this interpretation.Contribution: The paper provides a detailed review of the history of Christian interpretations on the nature of the heaven’s mandate during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Currently, there is limited scholarly research on the theological thoughts of Christianity during this period. This study not only enhances the understanding of the new interpretations by Christianity but also aids in comprehending the theological ideas of Christianity during the late Ming and early Qing periods. By reinterpreting Confucian classics, Christianity endowed them with new meanings, offering valuable references for the localisation of Christian theology and the study of cross-cultural exchange.

The Rise of Individual Personhood in Early Medieval China

The term “Early Medieval China” usually refers to the Wei Jin period, also known as the Wei Jin Southern and Northern dynasties (Wei Jin Nanbei chao 魏晉南北朝). This era was characterized by extreme sociopolitical circumstances, marked by constant instability, upheavals, wars, corruption, intrigues, external invasions and the exhaustion of the population. These conditions led to significant and unprecedented social and intellectual transformations that profoundly impacted Chinese culture, especially in the fields of philosophy and art. This article explores the cultural and philosophical ideas of the period that contributed to the rise of individual personhood, which emerged as a response to the suppressive and authoritarian Han Confucianism, which was heavily influenced by Legalist doctrines. Neo-Daoism, the most important stream of thought that arose from the political turmoil of the period, provided intellectuals with a refuge during these traumatic times, allowing them to explore new ways of philosophizing and experiencing an aesthetic way of living. The article examines the philosophical inquiries of the School of Profound Learning (Xuanxue 玄學) and Pure Conversations (Qingtan 清談) movement, which gave rise to self-awareness and fostered new perspectives on individual personhood.

French-Vietnamese Educational Culture in Cochinchina (1862–1945)

During the colonization process, the French government issued many policies on all aspects from life to the economy in Vietnam to “domesticate” the Vietnamese people. In the field of education, France was particularly interested in establishing a colonial education system that was completely dependent on France. The process of imposing the educational system on the model of the French educational culture is also the process of absorbing and transforming the Vietnamese-French educational culture in Vietnam in general and in Cochinchina in particular. In this study, we analyze and evaluate the Franco-Vietnamese educational culture in Cochinchina during the French colonial period. From the research results, it is shown that through the process of establishing the French educational culture in Cochinchina (Vietnam), Vietnamese culture has received the French educational culture and created its educational characteristics in the period history of modern Vietnam. This education has many changes compared to the traditional Confucian education. This is the process of receiving and transforming the culture to fit the exogenous and endogenous, transforming the exogenous into the endogenous, becoming its own culture.

企劃論文] 근대 초기 딱지본 표지화에서 보이는 중국 도상 연구

In the early 20th century, Kroean publishing houses that pioneered the distribution of newly edited Chinese classical novels actively utilized Chinese images to reflect readers’ tastes, even showcasing images that were neither popular nor taboo in the Joseon Dynasty. On the covers of Ttakji-bon novel, such as “Gwkbunyang Silqi(The Story of Gwakbunyang),” a Chinese novel, the Chinese-style iconography of a husband and wife sitting together enjoying a banquet was consistently featured from the first edition in 1913 until the 1950s. This imagery, which was not seen in the Confucian society of the Joseon Dynasty, highlights the public’s interest and changes regarding the new status of men and women within the East Asian family structure during the transition to a modern society. Moreover, the book-cover of “Gwakbunyang Silgi” illustrates the distribution of the Chinese iconography of the husband and wife sitting together, which was very popular in Qing Dynasty as a form of New Year’s Poster(Nianhua). This paper examines the visual representation and distribution of the classical story of Gwabunyang in the publishing culture of the early 20th century, focusing on the cover images of the Ttakji-bon, Gwakbunyang Silgi.

Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders and their associated factors in Confucian heritage cultures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) may be an 'idiom' of psychological distress in Confucian heritage cultures (CHCs). This systematic review/meta-analysis estimated the prevalence of TMDs in CHCs and compared the differences in TMD occurrence between time periods and age groups. Additionally, the associated biopsychosocial risk factors were also examined. The study protocol was developed a priori following the PRISMA guidelines and Joanna Briggs Institute systematic review methodology (CRD42021245526). Electronic searches of seven databases were conducted from January 2002 to Dec 2021. Reference lists of identified studies were hand-searched for additional articles. Study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction were done. Meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.4 software. Forty-eight articles were included in the systematic review. Overall prevalences were: TMDs-15% (95% CI: 15-16%); TMD pain-8% (95% CI: 7-9%); TMJ sounds-24% (95% CI: 21-27%); and TMJ locking-7% (95% CI: 1-13%). While TMD prevalence appeared to have declined from 2002 to 2011 to 2012-2021, the occurrence of TMD pain, TMJ sounds, and locking increased marginally or remained constant. TMD prevalence in children/adolescents was 18% (95% CI: 14-22%) and 17% (95% CI: 16-18%) among adults. Significant associations between TMDs and bruxism/psychological distress/education levels were specified by 73%/90%/88% of the relevant studies. TMDs are prevalent in CHCs and a slight increase in TMD pain (2%) and TMJ sounds (8%) were discerned over the past two decades. TMDs are related to a myriad of biopsychosocial variables, particularly psychological distress, and these factors must be addressed within the cultural context of patients.

Doctrine of ‘Human Nature is Evil’ – The Fundamental Basis of Xunzi’s Socio-Political Thought

Xunzi 荀子 (third century BCE) was a great Chinese thinker during the Spring and Autumn – Warring States period. He is seen as being represented the last significant figure of Confucian thoughts during the era of Confucius and Mencius. In his works, he critically summarized the intellectual conclusion of pre-Qin scholars and formulated the Confucian and Legalist (Fǎjiā 法家) ideologies to a new paramount, on the basis that Confucianism was as the core. Xunzi’s philosophical doctrine is well-known with idea that “human nature is evil.” The article focuses on analyzing the doctrine of the evil nature to highlight its fundamental role in Xunzi’s political and social thought.

Higher Education Opportunities of Elite Family Students in Economic and Cultural Highlands of a Confucian Heritage Society

Higher Education Opportunities of Elite Family Students in Economic and Cultural Highlands of a Confucian Heritage Society

Analysis of Confucius and Dewey's Educational Ideas for Vietnam's Education

Presently, numerous educators both domestically and internationally have made significant contributions to the formation and advancement of educational ideas. Notably, Confucius from China and John Dewey from the United States have exerted a profound impact on modern educational practice and theory. This paper aims to analyse and contrast the educational philosophies of Confucius and Dewey in order to identify the similarities and differences in their theories within various national and social contexts. The objective is to extract the essence of their educational thoughts to benefit Vietnam's educational endeavours and offer valuable perspectives for educational reform in the country.

사대부의 시선으로 본 무당의 형상과 그 의미

This article examines the portrayal of shamans through the perspective of the scholar-gentry(士大夫) class as reflected in various records, such as Pilgi(筆記) and Yadam(野談), and explores the significance of these portrayals. From the late 13th century, shamans were subjects of rejection and criticism by the scholar-gentry, and after the founding of the Joseon Dynasty, they were perceived as antagonists disrupting the order of Confucian society. Shamans were negatively depicted, labeled as “wicked shamans” or “fake shamans.” The literati aimed to emphasize the legitimacy of rejecting shamans through these depictions. The literati focused their criticism on shamans who deceived people and gained undue benefits by exploiting superstitions about spirits. Male shamans dressed in women's clothing were recognized as the primary image of the “wicked shaman.” On the other hand, shamans were unique beings capable of communicating with spirits or ghosts through possession(降神/憑依). Although the scholar-gentry rejected shamans, they were very interested in their spiritual abilities. This is connected to verifying the authenticity of “spiritual shamans” and “genuine shamans”. As the Joseon Dynasty progressed, the scholar-gentry increasingly acknowledged the spiritual power of shamans through their experiences and observations of possession phenomena. Consequently, they began to view shamans and shamanistic practices more positively compared to earlier periods. Narratives from the late Joseon period include acceptance of shamanistic phenomena and rituals, and shamanistic practices often served to complement or even replace Confucian rituals. Shamans were depicted as marginalized figures, yet they secured their position by serving as spiritual intermediaries for the common people. This dual perspective on shamans reflects the contradiction between the literati's ideals and the reality of their perception. The scholar-gentry show a more flexible and reserved attitude toward shamans than before, expecting an interest in the unknown world, experiences with them, and solving practical problems through shamans. That is, shamans were portrayed as beings who were excluded from the Confucian society, but simultaneously, they were seen as entities filling the gaps within that society, thus maintaining their vitality.

The KMT’s Shifting Approach to the Outside World during the 1920s: A Reinvention of Chinese Confucianism

Through a Confucian lens, this research explores the transformation of the Kuomintang’s (國民黨; KMT) foreign policy during the 1920s. It examines the shift in the KMT's foreign policy from Sun Yat-Sen’s 孫逸仙 (1866-1925) “Allying with Soviet Russia” (lian’e 聯俄) stance to Chiang Kai-shek’s 蔣介石 (1887-1975) prioritization of Western relations around 1927. The study highlights the reintroduction of Confucianism in the KMT's foreign policy during this period, considering the conventional Confucian education of KMT leaders. Unlike previous studies analyzing this shift from political or historical perspectives, this study provides a chronological analysis that centers around the change to Confucianism. It addresses a significant research vacuum in the existing literature and uses archival analysis to examine the evolution of the KMT’s foreign policy. The study examines primary sources such as Sun’s speeches, Chiang's diary, and contemporaneous memoirs. The study comprises three chronological sections. The first section (1920–1924) explores the influence of Confucianism on Sun’s alignment with Soviet Russia due to commonalities between Confucianism and Communism. The second section (1924-1927) examines how Confucianism shaped the KMT’s Western-oriented shift. The third section (1928–1930) delves into the philosophical basis of the Treaty Revision Movement (Gaiding xinyue yundong 改訂新約運動) and the adoption of ‘keeping good faith and pursuing harmony’ (Jiangxin xiumu 講信修睦) as the foreign policy principle. This research concludes that Sun, inspired by Confucian-Communist parallels, initially aligned with Soviet Russia but that later, under Chiang’s leadership, the KMT used “The Confucianisation of the Three People’s Principles” (Sanminzhuyi 三民主義) in its consolidation of a power shift towards the West and adopted Confucian principles to further legitimize its rule by promoting the New Treaty Movement.

RITUAL CHENG BENG DALAM MASYARAKAT KHONGHUCU DAN KETERLIBATAN MASYARAKAT ISLAM DI KELURAHAN TEBING TINGGI

This study discusses the Cheng Beng Ritual in the Confucian Society and the invention of the Islamic Society in Tebing Tinggi Village. Ritual is a habit of religious ceremonial procedures that are owned by various religions and have differences in each religion or tribe, in this discussion we take the Cheng Beng Ritual which uses the Theory of Religious Rituals from Emile Durkheim. In this study the authors used qualitative research methods by observing, documenting, and interviewing the research locations directly. Durkheim said in his book The Elementary from on the Agamauos life, which reviews social phenomena in depth, including the practice of religious rituals which Durkheim divides into two parts: 1. Negative ritual practices, which aim to form prohibitions in a religious ritual. 2. Positive ritual practices, aiming to manifest oneself with solemn faith. Durkeim also said that the rituals also make the relationship between families close again. Likewise with the cheng ben ritual which makes families gather to visit their ancestors. Meanwhile the Cheng Beng that occurred in the city of Tebing Tinggi did not only show harmonious relations in the Confucian society, but this Cheng Beng also became harmonious because the Islamic community of Tebing Tinggi Village participated in this Cheng beng event, there were several forms of harmony and involvement of the Islamic community in Cheng Beng, among others, assisting Cheng Beng ceremonies such as cleaning meals, giving circles to burn offering papers, selling around the tomb, joining the Cheng Beng YASOBAS Committee. With the aim of gaining profit and increasing the economic income of the Islamic community around the Chinese Cemetery and also for everyday life and making inter-religious relations harmonious.

Abstract 2129: Efficacy and underlying mechanisms of surufatinib combined with PD-1 monoclonal antibody and chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer

Abstract Background: A phase 1b/2 study (NCT05218889) of surufatinib combined with camrelizumab, nab-paclitaxel, and S-1 (NASCA) as first-line therapy for metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma has shown promising results, potentially overcoming the limitations of current pancreatic immunotherapies. Animal studies are underway to further explore the synergistic effects and mechanisms of this combined therapeutic approach. Methods: Genetically engineered KPC mouse cells were used to establish a subcutaneous transplantation tumor model in female mice, which were then divided into control group, AG group (nab-paclitaxel + gemcitabine), and NASCA group. Tumor metrics were recorded until euthanasia after 21 days. Blood and tumor samples were analyzed using Flow Cytometry. Results: Compared with the control group, the NASCA and AG groups demonstrated tumor volume reductions of 14.7% (p=0.172) and -0.4% (p=0.972) on day 7, respectively. At day 14, the reductions were 48.8% and 29.9% (p<0.001*, p=0.002*). At day 21, the reductions were 37.4% and 21.5% (p=0.001*, p=0.144). The tumor growth inhibitions (TGIs) for NASCA and AG group were 56.7% (p<0.001*) and 21.2% (p=0.36), respectively. Compare to AG group, the tumor volume reduction in NASCA group were 15.1% (p=0.050*), 26.9% (p=0.001*) and 20.3% (p=0.116), respectively. And the TGIs for NASCA group compare AG group was 45.0% (p=0.020*). Distinguishingly, the NASCA group, when compared to the AG group, had a heightened proportion of M1 macrophages (28.5% vs. 15.5%, p=0.019*), mCD68+ Macrophages (99.7% vs. 99.1%, p=0,014*) and mPD-1+/mCD8+ T cells (24.8% vs. 9.8%, p=0.03*). Furthermore, T-regulatory cells (T-regs) in peripheral blood demonstrated uniformity across the groups, were no statistically. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the NASCA significantly suppressed multiple anti-angiogenic pathways while enhancing the cytokine pathway (p=0.005*), indicating potential immune system activation. Conclusion: The NASCA group outperformed the AG group in controlling tumor growth and early tumor shrinkage, potentially due to macrophage polarization regulation. Further research is vital to understand the benefits of integrating targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer. Citation Format: Nan Zhang, Ru Jia, Guanghai Dai. Efficacy and underlying mechanisms of surufatinib combined with PD-1 monoclonal antibody and chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2129.

Formation of Korean Christianity through the Banning of Ancestral Rites

This study explores the ways in which a ban on ancestral rites influenced Korean Christianity. Ancestral rites are religious ceremonies that form the most critical social basis of Joseon, a Confucian society. First, the Korean Catholic Church was the first to oppose ancestral rites. Catholics created a new social and ethical resonance in Joseon society but had to endure tremendous persecution. Second, Protestantism was introduced when Joseon society was the most confused. Protestant missionaries banned ancestral rites, and Korean Protestants accepted them. Gradually, they interpreted it and embodied it in their faith. The ban on ancestral rites contributed to the formation of Korean Christianity. This laid the foundation for Christian social ethics and Hyo (孝, Xiao (Chinese pronunciation), filiality) theology. It has expanded into various fields, such as systematic theology, biblical studies, practical theology, and liturgical practice. Thus, this study examines how the ban on ancestral rites in Korea had a profound impact on the contextualization of Korean Christianity.

WEIRD-Confucian comparisons: Ongoing cultural biases in psychology's evidence base and some recommendations for improving global representation.

The realization that most behavioral science research focuses on cultures labeled as WEIRD-Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (Arnett, 2008; Henrich et al., 2010; Thalmayer et al., 2021)-has given an impetus to extend the research to more diverse populations. Confucian East Asian societies have relatively strong social and technological infrastructure to advance science and thus have gained much prominence in cross-cultural studies. This has inadvertently fostered another bias: the dominance of WEIRD-Confucian comparisons and a tendency to draw conclusions about "non-WEIRD" cultures in general based on data from Confucian societies. Here, analyzing 1,466,019 scientific abstracts and, separately, coverage of 60 large-scale cross-cultural psychological projects (Nsamples = 2,668 from Ncountries = 153 covering nparticipants = 3,722,940), we quantify the dominance of Confucian over other non-WEIRD cultures in psychological research. Our analysis also reveals the underrepresentation of non-European Union postcommunist societies and the almost total invisibility of Pacific Island, Caribbean, Middle African, and Central Asian societies within the research database of psychology. We call for a shift in cross-cultural studies toward midsize (7+ countries) and ideally large-scale (50+ countries) cross-cultural studies, and we propose mitigations that we believe could aid the inclusion of diverse researchers as well as participants from underrepresented cultures in our field. People in all world regions and cultures deserve psychological knowledge that applies to them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

충청지역 서원의 복설 추이와 성격

This study is about the aspects of demolition and reconstruction of Seowon that currently exists in the Chungcheong region(South Chungcheong Province, North Chungcheong Province, Daejeon Metropolitan City, and Sejong Special City).
 In the materials related to Seowon created by the government during the Choseon Dynasty, it is recorded that there were 107 Seowons and Confucius in the Chungcheong region, and 44 of them received Saek(賜額).
 However, looking at the records created during the policy of abolishing seowon , it was foun d that there were man y more seowon .
 After the reign of King Injo, the establishment of Confucian academies was regulated, and Confucian academies were demolished on a large scale during the reigns of Sukjong, Yeongjo, and Gojong, leaving only five Seowons in the Chungcheong region.
 Afterwards, the first discussion in Korea took place demanding the restoration of Hwayang Seowon in Cheongju. It was 1874, just three years after it was demolished. However, due to the symbolism of Hwayang Seowon, the state did not allow its reproduction.
 Now, the Con fucian class just wan ted a space to worship their an cestors. They just build a Dan(壇, altar) or held Ancestaral Rites in pavilion or seodang. Additionally, 8 rebuilding of previous seowon can check in 1910.
 During the Japanese colonial period, Twenty-two seowons were rebuilt, and new seowons also appeared. In most cases, it was created under the initiative of the family. Uniquely, the ‘Asan Hyeonchungsa’ dedicated to Admiral Yi Sun-Shin(李舜⾂), was re-opened by the press through a campaign to re-open it. After liberation, Forty-Four seowons were reestablished. However, it was not reproduced in its original form.
 Recently, there is a tendency for local governments to designate Seowon as a cultural asset or carry out a project to transform it into a sanctuary and use it as a tourist facility.

“DO-IT-YOURSELF” (DIY) Geointerpretation – Making Geology Simple, Fascinating & Fun

Why does the earth-quake? When does the land-slide? How do rocks bend and break and what makes lava flow and mountains grow? Geointerpretation activities can explain these fascinating and seemingly incomprehensible global phenomena in simple and fun ways to visitors, tourists and the public. According to renowned interpreter Sam Ham (Ham, 1992), this involves “translating complex technical language and concepts into terms and ideas that people can readily understand”; while “doing it in a way that is entertaining and interesting to people”. Meanwhile almost 2500 years ago, the Chinese philosopher Confucius elegantly confirmed that “if we hear we forget, if we see we remember but if we do we understand”. Geotourism activities within Global Geoparks across the world cater for geotourists who want to know more about how the earth system works, as well as to experience the wonders - (and terrors) - of the natural world. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) geointerpretation activities are simple to design, inexpensive to create and very flexible to deliver to geotourists, anywhere. This hands-on workshop will reveal how geointerpretation is made easy using simple everyday materials. For example, making your own banana benders, broken egg-shell planets and lava sandwiches will demonstrate many geological processes including difficult concepts such as Deep Earth, Deep Impacts and Deep Time. Geointerpretation makes visitor experiences (within Geoparks) more enriching, fulfilling and most importantly fun!.