Young Manchus Online

Everyone is aware of the considerable volume of material pertaining to Manchu studies and Manchu culture that is available online, including a number of sites that aim to increase popular interest in Manchu language and history such as Manzu zaixian 满族在线 (Asude bisire Manju), Jixiang Manzu 吉祥满族 (Sain sabingga Manju), Manzu ernü 满族儿女, Manzu wenhuawang 满族文化网, Manzu xin 满族心 (Manju mujilen), and Manzhou wenhua chuanmei 满洲文化传媒.  Recently a group of Beijing high school students, most of them ethnic Manchus who attend Renmin University High Schoold (Renda fuzhong 人大附中), launched their own entry into this mass of online Manjuriana, posting a 13-minute video explaining the history of the Manchu language and their efforts to try to preserve at least a bit of the culture of their forebears.  The video is available on Youku here.  As they explain, most of what’s available online is not produced in a way that will attract younger people; having established a Manchu Language and Culture Club 满语文化研究会, their hope is to use social media outlets such as Renren and Douban to stimulate greater discussion and activity.   Among other things, their plan is to spend some time in Summer 2013 in Cabcal learning to speak modern Sibe.