With the arrival of spring and flourishing surroundings, here comes the traditional Chinese Qingming Festival. School of International Education organized a traditional cultural experience activity for Qingming Festival for international students on campus, titled "Embrace the spring, taste Qingtuan and fly kites".
"Qingming Festival is one of the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar, and it is also a traditional Chinese festival. During this solar term, everything appears fresh and vibrant, signifying the onset of spring with rising temperatures and a radiant landscape, making it an ideal time for spring outings and tomb sweeping.... ". At the beginning of the activity, the Chinese language teachers vividly expounded the origin, cultural connotation, and traditional customs of Qingming Festival to international students bilingually. Subsequently, Chinese and international teachers and students tasted the spring-themed specialty food - Qingtuan, together experiencing the atmosphere of Qingming Festival embodied in the delicacy.
April is the most beautiful month when the grass is growing and the birds are flying. Following the delectable experience with Qingtuan, international students came to the lush Changhong Ecological Park for kite flying. "Kite, also known as ‘paper kite’, originated in China and has a history of more than 2,000 years...", as they listened to the explanations, the international students attempted kite flying, releasing the strings and running. Carrying their spring wishes, the kites soared into the sky and danced gracefully.
David from Nigeria praised, "Chinese traditional festivals are exceptionally diverse and distinctive. This is my first time to experience a spring festival, going for an outing, flying kites, and eating Qingtuan. Qingming Festival not only expresses remembrance but also carries blessings of spring. It feels very interesting. I love Chinese culture."
School of International Education has been actively organizing practical activities on traditional Chinese culture for international students studying in China. With Chinese traditional culture as the main theme and traditional Chinese festivals as the carrier, these activities integrate classroom teaching with extracurricular activities, combining both on-campus and off-campus resources while blending knowledge explanations with hands-on experiences. Through immersive participation and cultural experiences, the school endeavors to broaden and deepen the Chinese language learning experience for international students, improve their Chinese proficiency, and enhance their identification with Chinese culture, facilitate their understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of China, thus laying a solid foundation for cultivating international inheritors and spreaders who can tell China's stories well and promote Chinese culture.
