On the afternoon of December 3, the 21st International Culture Festival of Zhejiang University was inaugurated in the culture square of ZiJingang campus. Professor ZHENG Qiang, the deputy secretary of the Party committee of Zhejiang University, declared the opening. Foreign students from more than 10 countries, including Mexico, Thailand, South Korea, Pakistan, Indonesia, Ukraine, and so on, joined in the exhibition in opening ceremony and performed in the evening.
The International Culture Festival of Zhejiang University was called Foreign Language Festival of Zhejiang University before. The theme of 21st International Culture Festival is “The World is My Stage”. In the next one month, Chinese and foreign students will get together to show all kinds of cultures.
With the delightful rhythm of African drum, the cultural exchange activities officially began at 3 p.m. Foreign students displayed their local customs and practices, attracting a lot of come-and-go students. Thai students made cards to teach simple Thai words; South Korean students displayed music and high-tech products; Ukrainian students demonstrated the beautiful scenery of Ukraine through photographs and painting pictures; Indonesian and Mauritius students provided national delicious food for students; Malaysian students exhibited their traditional games; Pakistani students brought elegant handicrafts; Mexican students dressed themselves in bright-colored national costumes to perform Mexican dance; foreign students even danced to the rhythm of drums beat by African Drum Society, making the live show more hot... At Chinese platform, the models and pigment were supplied for the DIY of Peking Opera masks, in order to taste the charm of Chinese traditional culture. Various cultures gathered in such a small square, making people linger on without any thought of leaving. It really was a memorable feast for civilization.
At 6 pm, the 21st International Culture Festival opened officially. Professor ZHENG Qiang delivered the English opening speech in which he extended a warm welcome to all the foreign students and expressed his sincere good wishes for the success of this Festival. And then, HU Songfa, the secretary of the Party committee of SIS, gave the Chinese opening speech. He introduced the development of International Culture Festival and the education philosophy of SIS. After that, Professor XU Weimin, the deputy dean of International College, addressed the opening ceremony, focusing on the significance of the cultural exchange and expressing his ardent hope of the success of this Festival. Finally, Professor ZHENG Qiang proclaimed the opening.
After the ceremony, the performance full of various customs amazed audience. The band from Korea warmed up the atmosphere; The combination of ancient instrument and shadowboxing was charming and inspiring; Ukrainian students’ soulful song received a standing ovation; The Thai dance showed another kind of grace; The fashion show displayed many different types of national clothes; The rhythm of the African drum was joyful; The Korean tea art won praises for its elegance; and the Peking opera biography of Tai Zhen made the audience get drunk with the colorful Chinese culture. The show came to an end in the lively bamboo pole dance, with the cheerful atmosphere lingering in the air. This opening ceremony was nothing less than a feast for the eyes.
There are 11 chapters in this Festival, including some language activities, such as the 3rd Haina English Debating Contest, the 3rd Pan Yangtse River Delta Model United Nations Conference, the 4th “Interpretation Star” Contest, the 3rd “Casio Cup” English Encyclopedia Contest, the 5th “Casio Cup” Japanese Speech Contest at universities in Hangzhou, the 5th “Yongxin Cup” Foreign Language Singing Competition at universities in Hangzhou, and so on.
This International Culture Festival absolutely is a splendid feast. Let us expect the coming fun and enjoy ourselves in this charming Festival together!
(Translated by BIAN Lilin &LIU Xiaoxuan)
