On the afternoon of September 24, the School of International Education held a Mid-Autumn Festival cultural experience event at the Second Canteen on Zibo Campus. More than 150 international students from over 30 countries gathered together to savor the charm of the Mid-Autumn Festival and celebrate friendship across the world. The event was attended by Men Huihua, Director of the International Affairs Office and Dean of the School of International Education, Sun Chengyun, Secretary of the General Party Branch of the School of International Education, all faculty members of the School, and Chinese and international student volunteers.
At the beginning of the event, Men Huihua extended warm Mid-Autumn Festival greetings to the international students on behalf of the School. She briefly introduced the festival's long history, its profound symbolism of reunion, and its rich folk traditions, encouraging students to actively experience the unique charm of Chinese culture, gain friendship through exchange and mutual learning, and grow together through mutual understanding and companionship.
The event commenced with hands-on craft activities. Students participated in groups in making mooncake-shaped soaps, a creative clay modeling competition, and handcrafted lantern making. During the mooncake-shaped soap making session, students carefully followed the instructions, pressed and molded the soap into exquisite mooncake shapes, encapsulating their Mid-Autumn sentiments in small creations. In the creative clay modeling competition, students let their imaginations run wild, moving beyond traditional mooncake shapes—some carved their names, others created pizzas and hamburgers, and still others made various animals and cartoon figures. After completing their works, students took the stage one by one to present and share their creative ideas, drawing waves of admiration. The handcrafted lantern making activity was equally popular, with students assembling and decorating lanterns themselves. One unique lantern after another took shape, filling the venue with a festive atmosphere. The scene was lively, with students showing off their works, taking photos, and experiencing the unique charm of Mid-Autumn culture through hands-on practice.
The cultural performance segment brought the event to a climax. NGUYEN THI BINH, a student from Vietnam, sang the Chinese song "Shui Diao Ge Tou" with deep emotion, conveying the beautiful wish of "May we all be blessed with longevity, though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together." JUITOUOC SANSEU JORDAN CABREL from Cameroon and OKENVE AYANG MARIA SALOME AVOMO from Equatorial Guinea jointly performed the song "Pengyou" (Friends), and the familiar melody ignited the enthusiasm of the audience, with all students clapping along and singing together, filling the venue with warmth and emotion.
This Mid-Autumn Festival cultural experience event, with the traditional festival as its medium, not only deepened international students' understanding of traditional Chinese festivals and culture through hands-on experience but also allowed them to feel the care of the university and the warmth of home in a foreign land. Going forward, the School of International Education will continue to build branded activities for multicultural exchange, enrich the campus cultural life of international students, promote mutual learning among civilizations, and tell China's story well.
