Vancouver, BC –

Approximately 3000 Teochew people comprised of over 200 associations worldwide gathered this week at the Vancouver Convention Centre to promote the exchange of culture, trade and social ties between communities and internationally.   

The occasion was the 18^th Annual Teochew Convention, a three-day event from August 19–21 that occurs every second year in major cities around the world. Vancouver, BC was fortunate to be the host of the 2015 Convention, which unites and celebrates Teochew people and offers business networking sessions, trade and education fairs, and cultural exhibits.

BCCIE attended the event as part of the Education Fair. BC’s Education System is highly desirable to people of the Guangdong province in China, where the Teochew people originate. BC is known abroad for its high quality education system, especially among Chinese students; China remains the top source country of international students to BC with a total of 28,700 students in BC in 2013/14.

A strong forum to showcase the BC education system

MLA for Burnaby North Richard T. Lee described the Education Fair as an “opportunity to showcase our advantages” to the Teochew community. Some Chinese families want their children – or in some cases their only child – to have an international education. The Teochew Convention is an excellent venue to provide information to parents on BC institutions across all sectors – K-12, PSE and Languages,

A total of 21 institutions from BC attended the Education Fair to promote their programs.

The Teochew Convention falls on the heels of the 20^th anniversary of the sister province relationship between BC and Guangdong Province.

For more information on the Convention and a background on the Teochew community, visit the Convention website.