News Network (Correspondents:Zhang Ran, Zhou Ling) Aloof one knows they aren’t the snow; As faint through air soft fragrances flow.”The reading sound came from Best Reading Space (a bookstore), where a Salon for Exploring Traditional Chinese Culture (part of the activity themed on “Seeing the World through Ideological and Political Guidance”) was held on the morning of February 28th, 2023. The salon was hosted by the School of Foreign Languages and School of International Education. Professor Cai Shengqin, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages, was invited as the keynote speaker of this salon. Teacher and postgraduate representatives from both schools actively participated in the salon.
The salon began with Prof. Cai’s lecture. Taking the Chinese folding fan presented by his friend as a lead-in, he gave an introduction of the cultural values embodied in Chinese calligraphy, seal carving, poetry and Spring Festival couplets to all participants, which showed the creativity, vitality and continuity of excellent traditional Chinese culture. He pointed out that foreign language personnel should fully exert their advantages to tell stories about China well and make the voice of China heard through their persistent improvement of translating competence. There followed a lively discussion on this topic.
Vitkovska Frosina, a foreign teacher of ZUEL, firstly shared the charm of traditional Chinese culture in her eyes based on Overview of Chinese Culture, a course for international students. She stressed that the Chinese nation yearns for not only a better material life but also a spiritual one. Sarah Ashfaq Ahmad and Rodanthi Chatzopoulou, the other two foreign teachers, spoke of the inclusiveness of Chinese civilization through sharing their personal experiences. They said that both domestic and international students, like ocean with a broad mind, should promote the essence of traditional Chinese culture to build a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and other countries.
At the end of the salon, teachers and students wrote Spring Festival couplets with ink brushes, which helped them feel the gleaming glamour of traditional Chinese culture. This salon not only provided a platform for postgraduates from the School of Foreign Languages spread Chinese culture, but helped all the participants develop a deeper and multi-dimensional understanding of traditional Chinese culture.
