International students from countries including South Korea, Japan, Belize, Venezuela and the United States experienced the unique culture of Jiangnan, an area south of the Yangtze River where Shanghai is located, in a cultural tour, which is called Touring around Qingpu, Relishing Jiangnan, in Shanghai’s Qingpu District on November 13.
Qingpu District, with its water areas accounting for nearly 20 percent of its total area, boasts a unique water culture, such as Qingpu farming songs, which are considered one of China’s national intangible cultural heritages. The District is also home to three national-level historical and cultural towns, including Zhujiajiao, Liantang and Jinze.
Invited to a ceremony for the announcement of Qingpu as a designated activity base for the School of Journalism and the School of International Cultural Exchange at Fudan University, the international students enjoyed Qingpu farming songs and Jiangnan Sizhu performance.
Qingpu farming songs, which were created by farmers as they worked in the paddy fields some 3,200 years ago in Jiangnan, is a unique form of Wu Song sung in the local dialect of the south of the Yangtze River, and its lyrics often describe the life of local people. Jiangnan Sizhu, whose tunes are elegant and pleasant, is a good demonstration of the charm of the Jiangnan water town music culture.
“I have only been in China for a while. This is my first visit to Qingpu and the first time I have heard this kind of folk songs. Although I cannot understand what they sing, the melody feels very pleasant,” said Momiji Aoyama, a Japanese student.
In the Jinze Art Center, which gathers local craftsmen, intangible cultural heritage inheritors, artists and scholars, the international students gained a better understanding of local traditional craftmanships, including hand-woven products, lacquerwares, woodblock paintings and so on.
Qingpu is also a famous water resort in the south of the Yangtze River, with nearly 20% of the area covered by water. The abundant water resource makes Qingpu a land of milk and honey, fueling the emergence of some unique cultural activities in field and on water such as Qingpu farming songs, boat boxing and rowing race.
The Qingxi Countryside Park holds Shanghai’s only “water forest”, a forest of metasequoia growing in water. The students were amazed at the magnificent landscape and took pictures in front of the metasequoia forest.
“It’s beautiful!”
“I have to send pictures to my friends!”
“I will definitely invite my friends to visit this place!”
The students love the beautiful scenary of Qingpu very much.
“Qingpu has a very profound cultural heritage. I saw many beautiful old objects at the place of the art center this morning. The Qingxi Countryside Park I visited in the afternoon was very beautiful. I would recommend it to my friends, hoping them can also come and experience the intangible cultural heritage in Qingpu and enjoy the beautiful scenery,” said Fernando Chang Zheng Zheng, a student from Venezuela.
Many international students were also fascinated by the Chinese opera, and they spoke highly of the Kun Opera The Peony Pavilion they watched in Zhujiajiao in the evening. This show is China’s first Kun Opera performance performed with the backdrop of a real garden.
“I have experienced the beauty of Chinese opera via the scene, lighting, costumes, headwear and makeup,” said a Singaporean student named Foo Huishi, “However, the lyrics and story of the opera are a bit difficult for me. I need to know more about Chinese culture before I can get a deeper understanding of this opera.”
Hosted by Qingpu District Publicity Department, School of Journalism and International Cultural Exchange School at Fudan University and organized by Zhujiajiao and Jinze townships, the tour was joined by master students of International Journalism and Communication at School of Journalism, Fudan University and students at the International Cultural Exchange School, Fudan University.
