On September 17th, the International Cultural Festival, one of the activities celebrating the 70th anniversary of Jilin University, kicked off on the square northern of the stadium in the Central Campus. It was organized by more than 1,000 international students from 51 countries, and over 5,000 Chinese students of the university attended the event.
Yang Zhenbin, Party Secretary of Jilin University, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. He said that the International Cultural Festival acted as the bridge of communication between China and other countries. He hoped that this opportunity could be used to promote interaction of international students from different countries; he also hoped that Chinese and overseas students could further cultural exchanges and deepen their friendship. Iatcyna Valentina, a Russian student and the head of the International Students Art Troupe, spoke as student representatives. They shared what they gained from the interaction between Chinese and foreign cultures and gave their most sincere wishes to the International Cultural Festival. Other attendees included Kwon Young Ho, President of South Korea IB Group, and his wife, Masaru Araki, Vice President of Okayama University, Yoko Yamamoto, Vice President of Okayama University, and Professor Liu Debin, President Assistant and Dean of School of International and Public Affairs. Li Meihua, Dean of College of International Education, hosted the inauguration.
This cultural festival had four parts, namely, display of world cultures, artistic performance, interactive games and food sharing. International students in their Sunday best presented the natural landscape and folk customs of their countries to faculty members and students present. Handsome boys and pretty girls from many countries including Thailand, Turkey, Pakistan, Yemen and Nepal gave wonderful performances of singing and dance, the cheers and applause for which drove the atmosphere to a climax. The international students also taught dancing on the spot, and cooked their country’s food to share with others. Spirited Chinese students, with mini-passports in hand, were busy with visiting all “countries” present, making a tour of world cultures without setting foot beyond the campus.
The scene of the cultural festival was lively. The rain that fell despite the sunshine did not dampen students’ enthusiasm. Over 2,000 mini-passports were given out within just three hours. Li Yixiao and Yu Qing, unable to get the passports, used their own notebooks to be stamped by all booths and thus to collect cultural symbols from the “countries” there. “Experiencing cultural differences and customs on campus is a precious opportunity for me,” said Li Yixiao. Neve, an Indian student, marked the forehead of all the students that came to her booth with Tilaka. She said that the platform of the International Cultural Festival helped international students to make more Chinese friends. She hoped that such activities could be held every year on the campus.
