On 19th and 20th November, the 12th Luojia Autumn Cultural Festival was opened up with musical and dance performances by the international students in both folk and fusion styles. Jointly organized by School of International Education and Wuhan University International Students Union (WISU), this annual event was hosted at the Guiyuan ground with housands of visitors thronging at the arena to celebrate this diversity in the vibrant international community.
Students from Papua New Guinea performed the traditional “Canon dance”
Students from Papua New Guinea performed the traditional “Canon dance”, a form of group dance to celebrate the Independent Day of their nation. When asked about the meaning of their different face paintings, students answered that they represent different provinces where they come from.
International students had decorated their respective booths with national flags and a wide array of handicrafts, currencies, artifacts, postcards, paintings and musical instruments, which also attracted many neighborhood residents. Some visitors demonstrated great connoisseurship before purchasing the local specialties, others were talking with international students and expressed their desires to travel to their countries. The whole environment resonated with a sense of melodic harmony. The visitors immersed themselves in a different cultural environment –tasting authentic local cuisines and clicking pictures with the students in traditional costumes.
An Ukrainian kid played with his Chinese fellow
A group of international students wearing their traditional costumes
A father came to attend the culture festival with his son
Students from North Korean
Freddie, the Executive President of WISU, told us that he hoped the festival could open up the door between international students and Chinese students and foster mutual understanding. As a British student himself, Freddie had visited China twice before he came to Wuhan University for studying. “I learnt Kongfu in Shandong in 2013 and then visited Beijing and Shanghai in the next year. But I believed that in Wuhan I could better understand Chinese people and its culture.” He also mentioned that WISU would hold a series of activities with other student organizations on campus, such as International Exchange Camp of Student Organizations and Foreign Language Corner.
The next day witnessed a cultural dress show and the students were decked out in lavishly embroidered traditional costumes and exquisite jewelry. The show ended on a high note with the students reciting the school anthem. The students extolled their nations’ rich heritage and splendid tradition and this cultural exchange inculcated in them and even visitors mutual respect and appreciation for each other’s culture.
WHU has been holding international cultures festival every autumn since 2004. The festival centres on cultural exchange and aims at enhancing friendships. This year, to extend its influence and offer opportunity to people who cannot attend the festival, WHU live streamed the whole event on its Wechat account. More than 4500 viewers enjoyed the live.
（Photo by Wu Jiamin, edited by Zheng Xinnian & Hu Sijia）
