On the sunny November 5, Xinkongjian Plaza of Chengdu University was swarmed with people. The "Sharing Culture & Integrating Art—2024 International Culture and Arts Exchange Festival" hosted by the College of Chinese & ASEAN Arts kicked off. International students from all over the world are building cultural bridges. Teachers and students were invited to join on this cross-cultural journey.
With the song Join Hands and Share Feelings, cheering youth and friendship, the vibe was sparked. The cultural feast started as the Malaysian students passionately sang and danced, with colorful costumes and musical rhythm, setting the stage ablaze. Then, the Russian students sang deep and passionate songs, bringing the audience into a world full of feelings and stories, where every lyric seemed to narrate tales from distant Siberia. Following that, the Indonesian dance, with its unique rhythm and dancing postures, immersed people in the dream of the Thousand Islands Country, feeling a sense of mystery and romance.
The cultural exploration was far more than that. The "Silk Road Travelers' Blind Box Adventure Challenge" then started. 500 well-prepared blind boxes on "Silk Road Journey: Hand in Hand Across Lands" awaited brave explorers. Explorers shuttled between the booths of different countries, acting as merchants, envoys, explorers, or scholars on the Silk Road. "Where is the capital of Myanmar? How to say hello in Vietnamese?" By participating in a series of interesting interactive tasks, students not only gained new knowledge but also unlocked the secrets of exotic cuisine. From fresh mint tea in Morocco, mellow Rendang chicken in Malaysia, sweet pancakes in Russia, to various exotic candies, every booth is a surprise for taste buds. Every taste is a brave exploration of unknown cultures.
With curiosity and a desire to explore, participants visit booths to appreciate the rich culture and art of different countries. After collecting enough traveler medals, they could choose sand bottles in different colors to vote for their favorite booths and participate in sand painting for each booth. The activity of "Voting for the Best Booth" allows each participant to be the leading character of this culture and arts exchange festival, witness and select the best booth team, and send all participants' support and best wishes to all booth teams.
From this wonderful International Culture and Arts Exchange Festival, Chinese and foreign teachers and students not only tasted unique exotic delicacies and watched fantastic performances, but also met friends from all over the world and shared their pursuit of beauty in arts and love for culture. This festival was held not only for cultural exchanges, but also for cultural understanding. Teachers and students of the university deeply realized that despite different skin colors and languages, their yearning for a better life and respect for culture share with all mankind.
As the sun goes down, the International Culture and Arts Exchange Festival has come to an end. The love for culture and the spirit of exploring the world, however, keep inspiring everyone's heart like a fire that will never go out. Let's look forward to the next gathering and continue to write more stories about culture, friendship, and dreams.
This International Culture and Arts Exchange Festival is a fine project for the university to promote culture, and it is also a special activity by the College of Chinese & ASEAN Arts. The festival has been held for two consecutive sessions. It aims to expand students' international vision, promote Chinese and foreign cultural exchanges and integration, improve the capacity and efficiency of creating a cultural atmosphere that is harmonious, open, and inclusive, and show the charm and international image of the university in the Post-Universiade Era.
