As the entire nation celebrated National Day and the world gathered for the grandeur of the Hangzhou Asian Games, NEFU’s 8th International Culture Festival commenced on September 24th at Tai Chi Square. Over 10 booths from Heilongjiang’s intangible cultural heritage bearers, the display areas of Chinese traditional culture student associations, combined with cultural exhibits from more than 30 countries, shone brilliantly, illuminating the autumn day in NEFU.
Themed “A Decade of the Silk Road with Diversified Civilizations,” this cultural festival coincided with the 10th anniversary of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The event blended performances by students from around the world, cultural exhibitions from various countries, displays of Heilongjiang Province’s intangible cultural heritage, and distinctive cuisines, providing a platform for global youth to exchange and appreciate diverse cultures.
At the opening ceremony, Li Shunlong, Vice President and standing committee member of the NEFU Party Committee, delivered a welcome speech. He mentioned that the annual NEFU’s International Culture Festival has become a grand event to showcase diversified civilizations and promote cultural exchanges. It also lays a solid foundation for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the building of a shared future for humanity. He hopes that, guided by the spirit of the “Silk Road,” both domestic and international students in attendance will actively communicate, engage in extensive exchanges, learn from one another, and inject more impetus into the Belt and Road cooperation.
Wang Shaosong, Director of the office of international affairs at the Education Department of Heilongjiang Province, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He emphasized that Heilongjiang Province places great importance on international educational exchanges and cooperation. The Education Department of Heilongjiang Province is fully following the guiding principles of the important speeches by General Secretary Xi Jinping, seizing opportunities, and taking initiatives. The department is actively promoting high-quality development in educational cooperation and exchanges with countries involved in the “Belt and Road” initiative. Through the multifaceted and vibrant platform of the International Cultural Festival, he hopes that domestic and international students can deepen their understanding, enhance friendships, and strive to become ambassadors for the exchange of world’s outstanding cultures.
Following that, an on-site plaque-unveiling ceremony took place for the Educational Practice Base for International Students at NEFU. The Heilongjiang Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center and the Zhalong Nature Reserve of Heilongjiang Province became the newest educational practice bases for international students studying at NEFU. These bases offer an excellent platform for future international students to experience Chinese culture, perceive China’s development, and present compelling Chinese stories. The NEFU College of International Exchange issued appointment letters to seven research and study tutors from the two educational practice bases.
At the opening ceremony, NEFU received a special “gift” — Mr. Dr. Mohammed Al-Maitami, the Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to China, presented NEFU with a letter of appreciation, expressing his acknowledgment and appreciation for NEFU’s efforts in hosting international students and extending sincere wishes for the amicable relations between China and Yemen. “In the years we’ve studied in China, the teachers at NEFU have given us immense support, which deeply touched us. This gift was carefully chosen by us. The ‘curved dagger’ symbolizes courage and friendship. We hope the teachers will like it,” said Kakashi, a Yemeni international student, with deep emotion.
Nguyen Thi Huong Quynh, a Vietnamese international student, spoke on behalf of nearly thousand students from “Silk Road” countries trained at NEFU over the past decade. She shared the story of how the “Belt and Road” initiative has benefited her hometown and her own future prospects.
International students have encountered life-changing opportunities through the Belt and Road Initiative. As the accumulation of international talents studying in China continues to grow, they will undoubtedly play an irreplaceable role in the Belt and Road cooperation.
Following the opening ceremony, students from around the world took turns showcasing their talents on stage. The vibrant display of national costumes and harmonious choral singing highlighted regional flavors. Energetic dances were so contagious that audience couldn’t help but move to the rhythm. The international students sang and laughed with high spirits, creating an exceptionally lively atmosphere at the venue.
This year’s exhibition area hosts a total of 46 distinctive booths. Students from various countries have prepared traditional costumes, handicrafts, and specialty foods that best represent their hometowns. The song and dance interactions by the Tanzanian students, the distinctive hand-drawings from Yemen, and delicacies from Vietnam and North Korea have made them the most popular booths on site, attracting the interaction of both teachers and students.
The exhibition of intangible cultural heritage, presented by the Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, became the most popular area of this International Culture Festival. The heritage inheritors displayed traditional handicrafts such as fish skin paintings, hand-carved wooden sculptures, and gold lacquer inlays. Many international students at other booths momentarily forgot about their own stalls and rushed to the intangible heritage exhibition area to take photos, ask questions, and interact. Furthermore, long queues formed in front of the booths showcasing traditional Chinese orthopedics and Heilongjiang medical school. “Today, using intangible cultural heritage as a bridge, a cultural landscape of mutual exchange and harmonious coexistence between Chinese and foreign civilizations is gradually unfolding. The ‘encounter and mutual learning’ between Heilongjiang’s intangible cultural heritage and world cultures in NEFU represents our proactive exploration in promoting Heilongjiang’s culture on the global stage. It will undoubtedly infuse a profound and enduring cultural strength into the pursuit of building a community of shared future for mankind,” said Lu Ying, Dean of the International Exchange College.
The cultural festival was attended by representatives from Heilongjiang Provincial Peking Opera Theater, Heilongjiang Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, Zhalong Nature Reserve of Heilongjiang Province, Tailai No.3 Middle School, along with guest representatives from other universities, both within and outside the province. Officials from various university departments, several college party secretaries and deputy secretaries, as well as over 3,000 domestic and international teachers and students also participated.
