On the morning of November 29th, the 2nd BNU Zhuhai International Cultural Festival themed "Diverse Cultures Bloom, Youth Walks Side by Side" kicked off at the Library Square.
Sun Hongpei, Vice President of Beijing Normal University and Director of the Administrative Committee of BNU Zhuhai , attended the opening ceremony and announced its grand opening .
Guo Kanjun, Director of the International Office of BNU Zhuhai, delivered a welcome speech. She briefly reviewed the fruitful achievements of BNU Zhuhai in internationalization in recent years, profoundly elaborated on the connotation of the event theme "Diverse Cultures Bloom, Youth Walks Side by Side", and emphasized that young people are the core carriers and backbone of cultural exchange and mutual learning. She hoped that Chinese and international teachers and students would take this International Cultural Festival as an opportunity to deepen their understanding and tolerance of diverse cultures, build bridges of friendship across national borders with the power of youth, and actively promote Chinese culture to the world to achieve effective international communication.
The opening ceremony featured a splendid array of programs, setting a magnificent prelude to the entire cultural festival. Co-hosted by Chinese and international students, the event’s core content and overall process were clearly explained, kicking off the festival from a diverse perspective. The lively and vivid dance Jade Bird took the stage first, depicting natural charm through graceful movements. It not only conveyed the Chinese culture's reverence and admiration for nature but also showcased the diverse charm and contemporary vitality of excellent traditional Chinese culture with vigorous youthful energy. Chinese and Russian students jointly presented the song and dance performance "Матушка Земля (Mother Earth)". The bright rhythm, passionate dances, and heartfelt singing resonated perfectly, demonstrating the bold and unrestrained character and profound cultural heritage of the Russian nation while integrating the vivid expression of Chinese youth, achieving a tacit integration of Chinese and Russian cultures.
Amidst the increasingly enthusiastic atmosphere, student representatives from 22 countries including China, Russia, Pakistan, and Nigeria marched in succession, wearing distinctive traditional costumes and holding their national flags. The unique costumes and etiquette reflected the cultural heritage of each country, while their upright and energetic postures showcased the demeanor of young people, vividly interpreting the core connotation of the event "Diverse Cultures Bloom, Youth Walks Side by Side".
Following the opening ceremony, the "Take You to My Home" International Cultural Showcase, the core segment of this year’s cultural festival, kicked off immediately. Eighteen distinctive cultural booths were elaborately set up, where Chinese and international students collaborated as "cultural ambassadors" to comprehensively and multi-dimensionally present the essence of various cultures. Traditional Burmese face cream, Pakistani traditional dance (Bhangra), Lebanese traditional music, and introductions to Vietnamese specialty cuisine were displayed one after another, dazzling the audience. Rich interactive activities such as trivia quizzes, henna painting, sepak takraw experiences, and folk dance pushed the on-site atmosphere to a climax, allowing teachers and students to deeply experience exotic customs and the charm of cultural integration through immersive participation.
In addition, the themed booth of excellent traditional Chinese culture, co-created by the BNU Intangible Cultural Heritage Research and Development Center and four colleges (Leyu College, Huitong College, Hongwen College, Lixing College) attracted much attention. Immersive displays of intangible cultural heritage skills such as paper-cutting, mother-of-pearl inlay, and Chinese knot making, as well as special presentations of Tibetan art and Lingnan style, enabled international students to appreciate the unique charm of Chinese aesthetics and the profound heritage of Chinese culture through hands-on participation in the production process.
The interactive performances in the booth area were also highlights, vividly interpreting the event theme through cultural and artistic expressions. International students from Phoenix School jointly performed the new melodies of Chinese folk music, presenting Chinese classical aesthetics and romantic charm through the melodious sounds of traditional string and wind instruments.International students of Beijing Institute of Technology (Zhuhai) recreated the classic Butterfly Lovers through an innovative combination of "musical instruments + dance", blending classical charm with an international perspective. Russian folk dances conveyed a strong exotic artistic atmosphere with elegant and graceful movements. The guitar singing Little Insect ignited the on-site atmosphere with its lively melody, fully demonstrating the vigorous vitality of youth. The integration of diverse performances enhanced cross-cultural friendship through interaction.
The International Cultural Showcase was filled with a warm atmosphere of "Diverse Cultures Bloom, Youth Walks Side by Side". Teachers and students wandered among the various booths, enthusiastically experiencing exotic customs, learning special languages and dances, exploring local scenery, and tracing the origins of specialty products. They paused to communicate from time to time, collaborated in interactions, and captured wonderful moments of cultural integration with cameras, allowing cross-cultural friendship to quietly grow through youthful interactions.
It is worth noting that the series of activities of this year’s cultural festival kicked off with a preview on November 21st—the successful holding of the "Exploring the World: Take You to My Home" cultural salon. The salon specially invited Honorary Professor Inkeri Ruokonen from the University of Turku to give a lecture. She not only deeply analyzed the characteristics of Finnish education, systematically shared the "people-oriented" educational philosophy but also offered unique insights on the core topic of "cultivating future teacher leadership". In addition, two off-campus cultural salons will be held at the Zhuhai Experimental School of Beijing Normal University-Jingfeng , applying the cross-cultural concept of "Diverse Cultures Bloom, Youth Walks Side by Side" in primary and secondary schools and community, deepening the core connotation of cultural integration and international educational exchange, and continuously amplifying the educational effectiveness and social influence of cultural communication.
With the theme "Diverse Cultures Bloom, Youth Walks Side by Side", the 2nd BNU Zhuhai International Cultural Festival gathered more than 500 Chinese and international teachers and students from 41 countries including China, Russia, Pakistan, and Nigeria. It not only presented a cross-cultural audio-visual feast with both appreciation and experience for teachers and students but also built a youth bridge for Chinese and international teachers and students to exchange, learn from each other, and walk hand in hand. Through rich segments such as the opening ceremony, International Cultural Showcase, and cultural salons, the event constructed a high-quality experience platform for cross-cultural communication, enabling Chinese and international teachers and students to deepen their understanding of international cultures through interaction. It fully demonstrated the distinctive characteristics of BNU Zhuhai in devoting itself to international education and created a youthful, open, and inclusive international campus atmosphere. The holding of the International Cultural Festival series activities allowed diverse cultures to bloom brilliantly and take root on the campus, further fostering an open, inclusive, and harmonious campus cultural ecology. It not only promoted Chinese and International youth to forge profound friendships and unite youthful consensus through cultural exchanges but also ignited the enthusiasm of all teachers and students for cross-cultural learning and understanding, encouraging the younger generation to build bridges of cultural exchange and mutual learning with the power of unity, and continuously injecting youthful wisdom and vigorous vitality into the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
