On October 24, on the bustling eastern lawn by the Guanghua Building, where both domestic and international students from Fudan University gathered for the Chinese Culture Carnival.
The event featured nine activities, including Chinese calligraphy, Chinese classical dance, Chinese culture quiz, Peking Opera mask coloring, inscription rubbing, pitch pot ( a traditional Chinese game that requires players to throw arrows or sticks from a set distance into a large canister), Chinese paper cutting, Chinese tea & wine tasting, and Suzhou embroidery.
The event featured nine activities, including Chinese calligraphy, Chinese classical dance, Chinese culture quiz, Peking Opera mask coloring, inscription rubbing, pitch pot ( a traditional Chinese game that requires players to throw arrows or sticks from a set distance into a large canister), Chinese paper cutting, Chinese tea & wine tasting, and Suzhou embroidery.
Over at the Chinese Calligraphy booth, Hedda Ek from Sweden was completely absorbed in calligraphy. As she delicately wielded her brush, she commented, “This is my first time trying calligraphy, and it’s quite tough.” She was trying to write “藝”, a challenging character in the traditional Chinese writing system. “‘藝’ is a character in my Chinese name. I’m glad to learn how to write my name with a ink brush!” she said.
At the Chinese culture quiz booth, a fierce competition on Chinese historical and cultural knowledge was in full swing. Questions ranged from geography to art, architecture, and folklore. Many students scratched their heads and pondered until the correct answers were revealed. They sighed, “Chinese culture is so vast and profound. The range of topics is extensive. We need to review what we’ve learned regularly!”
“I reproduced two patterns. One is Qinglong (Azure Dragon), and the other is Baihu(White Tiger).” At the inscription rubbing booth, Kristof Balogh from Hungary proudly showcased his rubbings. Having lived in Beijing and Dalian for two years, he’s had some basic understanding of Chinese traditional culture. “I really love Chinese dragons. They’re so cool. I’ll keep the inscription artworks well,” he said.
Meanwhile, Katya Mergina, a Russian student, carefully selected colors for her Peking Opera mask. She said cheerfully, “I’ve only seen these masks in museums before. Today is my first time painting one myself. I am using a lot of yellow because I want to create a mask that represents valor.”
The pitch pot booth attracted a long line of enthusiastic participants. “I never expected throwing arrows in a pitcher to be so challenging. I wonder how many drinks I would owe as punishment in ancient times,” joked a student who scored zero points in the game, returning to the end of the queue for another attempt.
To welcome guests with tea and to enjoy wine with friends are an essential part of Chinese etiquette. The Chinese Tea & Wine Tasting booth not only served traditional tea like Pu-erh but also traditional Chinese alcoholic drinks made with rice, flowers and fruits. During a blind-tasting game, a student confidently answered, “It smells so good. This must be osmanthus wine!”
The art of embroidery also took the spotlight, with experienced artisans from Suzhou showing local and international students the beauty of Suzhou embroidery. They asked, “In Latin America, when we try to thread a needle, we usually lick the thread end to moisten it. Do you do the same?” Carolina Matuck from Brazil and Emily Mora from Ecuador, who met at Fudan and quickly became close friends, attended the carnival together. As green and yellow silk threads danced on the fabric, a beautiful three-leaf clover embroidery was soon completed.
During the opening performances of the carnival, Chinese classical dancing, Guzheng playing, and Chinese animation dubbing were put on the stage, offering a feast for the eyes.
It’s worth mentioning that the emcee for the opening was also an international student. Preechaya Oonchitti, who comes from Thailand, went to great lengths to ensure the smoothness of her role, carefully marking the pronunciation of complex Chinese characters in the script she already knew. She admitted that delivering a speech in Chinese for the first time made her nervous. However, she expressed her hope that she could seize this opportunity to build her courage to speak in Chinese.
This Chinese Culture Carnival was hosted by the Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association (Shanghai Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese), and organized by the United Front Work Department of Fudan University, the Shanghai Overseas Returned Scholars Association Fudan University Branch and the International Cultural Exchange School at Fudan University.
Every year, Fudan University hosts around 7,000 foreign students from over 130 countries and regions. The university boasts 28 overseas alumni organizations, covering North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.
