From March 17^th to 19^th, Prof. ZHAO Baoyong, Director of the USTB International Student Center (ISC), and Prof. ZHANG Hu, Deputy Director of ISC, organized 16 international students from 11 countries, including South Korea, Mongolia, Cambodia, Yemen, Vietnam, Mozambique, and Russia, to carry out communication and practical activities with Jinzhong University in Shanxi Province. Prof. LIU Yong, Vice Chancellor of Jinzhong University, together with relevant leaders at Jinzhong University, participated in the activities.

The USTB delegation visit the Glassware Specialized Town

The USTB delegation came to Taiyuan, an ancient capital with more than 2,000 years of history, to experience China's rich and profound history and culture. At the first stop, international teachers, students, and leaders of Jinzhong University came to Shanxi Glassware Specialized Town. In this town, the international students learned about the local pillar industry - glass products; the local person in charge introduced the production of local glass products and the basic situation of exporting to the international students who came to visit. International students found that the glass products in their own country were made in this town. Al-Hajj Yazeed Mohammed, a student from Yemen, excitedly picked up a glass product and introduced it to his family in Arabic via video. During the assembly line visit to the glass product production factory, international students are strongly interested by watching glass products born and bloomed from the hands of workers. Some students said they would also do glass production work in their own country after graduation.

The USTB delegation visit the Jin Temple

Shanxi is the birthplace of Chinese civilization. On the morning of the second day, international students came to the historical ancient city of Taiyuan to visit the Jin Temple, the earliest existing royal sacrificial garden in China; the Jin State Ancestral Hall, an intensive carrier of ancient Chinese architectural art, a unique example of architectural types and era sequences from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties to the Republic of China, and the ancillary color plastic murals are all national treasures, which is a comprehensive carrier of the historical context of the Three Jin Dynasties. Under the explanation of professional commentary, the international team seemed to be exposed to the long river of brilliant Chinese culture and marveled at the craftsmanship and wisdom of ancient Chinese craftsmen.

Exchange activities with students of Jinzhong University

Then, the international teachers and students came to Jinzhong University and interacted with the teachers and students there. During the performances carefully prepared by Jinzhong University, such as Chinese folk dance, Chinese folk music, and traditional tea ceremony cultural performances, Chinese and foreign students had enthusiastic communication. The USTB international students learned more about Chinese culture and understood the strong historical heritage rooted in the land of Shanxi.

Signing ceremony

In order to continue to carry out the education of international students in China's national conditions to a higher quality stage, the International Student Center held a symposium with Jinzhong University and signed a memorandum of building a practice base for China's national conditions education, providing support for students to carry out social practice activities related to China's national conditions education smoothly and cultivating more international talents.

After that, international teachers and students came to the Chang Family Manor, the housing complex of the Chang family in Chewang Village, Yuci Dongyang Town, known as the "Confucian Merchant Family.” They were led to understand the cultural and historical background of Jin merchants, travel through the obstacles of time and space, and immerse themselves in the magnificent manor. The international students had a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of China's long and profound social and economic development history.

USTB has deeply implemented the "Zhiyou Project,” organized international students to carry out cultural and social practices and to understood the local traditional culture, promoted international students' comprehensive understanding of China, and continuously contributed to promoting people-to-people bond while promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Draft: WANG Feiran

Revision: CHENG Mingyuan & SHEN Zhipeng