In the Spring Semester of 2025, the International Education Center successfully hosted 27 cultural experience activities, attracting over 200 international students to participate. From culinary workshops to intangible cultural heritage crafts, from martial arts experiences to art appreciation, each event was filled with surprises and gains.

Last time, we revisited cultural workshops from Chinese cooking to guzheng performances. Now, let's dive into folk wonders and immerse ourselves in the captivating charm of Chinese culture!

 

Appreciating Folk Artistry

No.1 Metal Foil Craft

With a graceful flick of the folding fan, delicate metal foil transforms under deft fingers -cut, folded, and sculpted into flora and fauna that dance across the fan's surface, alive with shimmering light.

No.2 Dough Sculpture

Tiny lumps of dough, kneaded with care—transformed into roly-poly pandas! Some nimble-fingered students even crafted their own charming characters, full of whimsical personality.

(Class in session...)

No.3 Shadow Puppetry

Legend of the White Snake, Journey to the West, Wu Song Fights the Tiger...

These classic tales come alive in the shadow puppet theater!

Working in pairs, students hand-colored intricate silhouettes and brought stories to life through dynamic performances.

Every flick of the wrist created mesmerizing scenes filled with Chinese cultural essence.

No.4 The Way of Fragrance

Appreciating, Crafting, Preserving

Under the guidance of Instructor Zhu Qiuyi, students shaped fragrant blends into personalized forms - transforming ephemeral scents into enduring keepsakes of cultural immersion.

The Way of Fragrance

 

No.5 Fragrant Sachets

After exploring the ancient heritage of scented sachets, students carefully selected aromatic herbs and, stitch by stitch, embroidered their heartfelt wishes into delicate pouches - transforming threads and spices into timeless vessels of blessings.

 

No.6 Oil-Paper Umbrellas

With a few masterful brushstrokes, the timeless "Four Gentlemen" (plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum) come alive on umbrella panels - each student creating their own poetic masterpiece. Holding these hand-painted oil-paper umbrellas, we strolled through the misty Jiangnan rain, embodying the very art we crafted together.

No.7 Chinese Knot Art

A single crimson cord, deftly looped and intertwined, condenses millennia of auspicious symbolism into an intricate knot - an enduring vessel of Oriental poetry woven through time.

No.8 Antique-Style Lanterns

Painting, coloring, framing... step by step, students crafted their one-of-a-kind antique lanterns—each glowing vessel illuminating a personal interpretation of Oriental romance.

No.9 Embroidery Art

After Instructor Cheng Ziyi's introduction to this ancient craft, students eagerly picked up needles to begin their own stitched masterpieces—and look! Playful animal companions now "grow" from the fabric, thread by colorful thread.

Rating: ★★★★★

 

No.10 Thread-Wrapped Florals

Where silk threads blossom under skilled hands

Under Instructor Sun Aoxue's guidance, students crafted exquisite floral brooches—pinning the subtle elegance of the Orient close to their hearts.

No.11 Paper Cutting Art

A single red paper, a pair of scissors

Dancing between fingers

Flowers, birds, and beasts come alive

With its vibrant simplicity, this folk art speaks volumes of rustic charm and passion.

 

As each cultural workshop concluded, we received heartfelt feedback—here’s what our students shared:

"Great time~"

"So much fun today—thank you all!"

"Helped a lot improving my pronunciation, thank you!"

"The zongzi we made yesterday tasted even better than store-bought ones. Teamwork makes the dream work! 👍"

"Thank you, teachers! This was an amazing class—I’d never known about Peking Opera before."

"The sachets are as beautiful as they are fragrant o(^▽^)o"

"The guzheng’s melody was so soothing—it calmed my mind completely."

"After Wing Chun training, I feel unstoppable!"

This semester’s cultural journey as drawn to a perfect close. Stay tuned for more cross-cultural adventures next term!

Source: DHU-IEC