On the morning of June 4, 2026, the Awards Ceremony of the "SISU Star" International Student Chinese Song Contest and the 7th International Student Art Festival was successfully held at SISU Yifu Hall, Hongkou Campus. Lasting nearly a month, the Art Festival featured five major sections: Mini Art Salon, Chinese Song Contest, Short Video Exhibition, AI Creative Design Exhibition, and City Walking Route Recommender. With activities both online and offline, it attracted over a hundred international students from more than 40 countries.

01 Making Friends Through Chinese Songs

Chinese Songs, Global Voices

 Eighteen contestants took the stage at the "SISU Star" competition, delivering solo and group performances that ranged from Mandarin pop classics to Peking Opera-infused interpretations. A standout moment came from Lilit of Armenia, who hand-painted her own Peking Opera facial makeup before singing "Chi Ling" to enthusiastic applause. Contestants were judged on pitch and rhythm, pronunciation, emotional expression, and stage presence. During the intermission, the International Student Chinese Dance Club performed "Big Fish," followed by a lively K-pop dance to "SUPER SHY" that brought the audience to its feet.

Chinese Classical Dance "Big Fish" (Dance)

 02 Creativity Across Cultures

 Beyond the Voice

The awards ceremony was also a stage for outstanding works from the festival. In the AI Creative Design Exhibition, students used digital art to express their views on campus and city life. Lin Xinyi (China) and Fan Mingzhou (Vietnam) both worked with the theme “Colorful Campus”—Lin through her piece “A Linguistic Journey to the Stars,” and Fan through a lively portrayal of campus scenes. Fan also presented a separate series, “The Four Seasons of Shanghai,” capturing the city’s changing landscape from an international student’s perspective. Wang Mengqi (Papua New Guinea) from the School of International Relations and Public Affairs took on the theme “China in My Eyes,” using creative visuals to highlight the beauty of Shanghai.

In the Short Video Exhibition, Li Suxue (Armenia) put on traditional Hanfu and took viewers to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, filming its historic bridges and Jiangnan-style waterways. Li Long (Russia) focused on Shen Garden in Shaoxing, capturing the elegance of classical Chinese architecture. Li Long also participated in the “City Walking Route Recommender” activity, sharing his approach to designing a walking route and his reflections on urban exploration.

Li Long shares his city walking route (Short Video)

Presenting commemorative certificates of the Art Festival (Awards Ceremony)

03 Honors on Stage

The awards ceremony reached its peak with the announcement of the contest winners. The first prize went to two acts: Ishizuka Rika (Japan) for her performance of "Lian Ming Dai Xing," and the duo of Li Long (Russia) and Li Suxue (Armenia) for their rendition of "Yellow Race."

Third Prize of "SISU Star" (Vocal)

 

Second Prize of "SISU Star"(Vocal)

First Prize of "SISU Star"(Vocal)

Source: Study at SISU