On August 20th, over 20 international students visited the historical and cultural sites of Xuzhou, including Hubu Mountain, Ximatai, and Su Shi Memorial Hall, in order to attain a profound understanding of China's rich heritage.
At around 9:00am, the international students first reached Ximatai and were enthusiastically led by teachers and staff on a tour of the notable attractions like corridor, the mountain house, the academy, and the frescoes. They admired the masterpiece, Autumn Wind Playing with Horses recited poetry from iconic literati, and gained first-hand insight into China's 2000-year-old history. Wami, an international student from Sri Lanka, expressed that owning to the enlightening staff's comprehensive explanation, he had more comprehensive understanding of the Chu-Han conflict, rendering this trip worthy.
In the afternoon, the students visited the Su Shi Memorial Hall, where they were captivated by the calligraphy and manuscripts of Chinese poet Su Dongpo. Through the lecturer's enthralling narratives, they seemed to witness the magnificent heroism of this generation's great writer, “I'm going to hold my bow tightly and put my hatred for the enemy on the bow drawn like a full moon, and look at the enemy in the north-west shooting them fiercely.” The narrator continued to describe Su Shi's (Su Dongpo) identity as a “literary leader”, “a painter”, “a musician”, and “a water conservancy wizard”, captivating the students with his unique style of calligraphy “the calligraphy with stone and toad” “painting with music”, “hydraulic genius” and “culinary artist”.
This activity helped international students experience the allure of Xuzhou's culture and gain a more profound comprehension of China's deep-rooted history and culture. It had a significant impact on intensifying cultural understanding and reciprocity between China and foreign nations.
By: Guo Renjie, Yin Yuyue
Photo by: Mohammad
Graphic Review: Li Honghai, Pan Meichen
