The campus of Shenyang University was lush, verdant and fragrant on hot summer days. On May 29, over 20 international students from countries such as Ireland, Iran, Morocco, South Africa and Ghana arrived at the multimedia classroom of International Education College one after another and conducted a “dialogue” across time and space with national treasures in Liaoning.
On the day, the sharing meeting of “National Treasures in Liaoning, a Feast for International College Students” was hosted here. In the quaint classroom, the promotional video of National Treasures in Liaoning was played repeatedly on the large screen. Large mysterious themed posters, ancient paintings, screens and incense holders enhanced each other’s beauty and left an immediate impression of tranquility and stateliness.
After the sharing meeting started, international students dressed in Han Chinese costume and their own national costume watched with great interest the short video titled “Tree-shaped Gold Shimmering Headdress: One Tree in Bloom, a Thousand Beams of Light Shining”, an episode from the series of short videos of National Treasures in Liaoning. The tree-shaped gold shimmering headdress in the video not only captivated the teachers and students on the site with its flickering gold boughs and unique beauty, but also aroused their curiosity about the stories behind the cultural relics. In the following lecture, Wang Zhenqing, the keynote speaker, took the international students on a journey of learning about the cultural relics that had been silent for a thousand years and told the stories of the historical development and integration of the diverse cultures of the Chinese civilization.
In the lecture titled “The Cultural Integration between the East and the West Reflected in Gold Shimmering Headdresses”, the keynote speaker not merely introduced the shape, craftsmanship and functions of the gold shimmering headdress in detail, but also explained the historical development of this kind of ancient Chinese gold jewelry as well as how it reflected the cultural integration along the Grassland Silk Road. When the speaker introduced the forehead jewelry excavated in the area of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the international students from countries along the Silk Road kept raising their cellphones and taking photos of the gold jewelry on the large screen. Their faces glowed with excitement.
After the lecture was finished, everyone was still interested and hankered for more. Joseph Babiloun, an international student from Morocco, spoke of the cultural relics of gold ornaments in Morocco with the keynote speaker. “There is similar gold jewelry in my country, which I have seen in the museum. However, this gold shimmering headdress is more elaborate, imaginative, and extremely magnificent and stately”, said Joseph. “Many of our students are interested in the techniques of making a gold shimmering headdress. We hope that our university can offer courses on the appreciation of cultural relics and guide us to learn about more national treasures in Liaoning.”
Sapeta Wojciech Wieslαw, an international student from Ireland, marveled at the consummate craftsmanship of Chinese ancestors. “From these cultural relics, we can tell the wisdom and artistic attainments of the Chinese ancestors. Their stunning imagination and superb artistic expression are genuinely impressive”, said Sapeta. She also said that “this sharing meeting opened a window to learn about the culture and history of Liaoning for me. In the future, I will learn more about the history and culture of Liaoning and experience Chinese culture in my spare time.” Kisitu Grace, an international student from South Africa, signed up for this sharing meeting out of her love for traditional Chinese culture. “National treasures in Liaoning not only showcase the life of the ancient people to us, but also convey the beautiful and the good of traditional Chinese culture. I will take the stories of national treasures in Liaoning back to my hometown and tell them to my parents, brothers and sisters”, said Grace.
The international students who study in China can not only learn the Chinese language and acquire professional knowledge, but also expose themselves to and experience Chinese culture. After finishing their study, they will return to their countries and spread Chinese culture in their own manners”, said Li Yang, the director of Overseas Students Affairs Office, International Education College, Shenyang University. Li Yang said that “this activity provided an excellent opportunity for international students to perceive, learn about and spread Chinese culture”. “Precious cultural relics are the evidence of the historical development of a country. This activity explained the cultural values hidden in the national treasures in Liaoning to international students and aroused their enthusiasm to tell the stories of China and Liaoning to the world”, said Zhang Lili, the deputy dean of International Education College, Shenyang University. “Through this activity, we will also pay attention to the wishes of international students and add courses on traditional Chinese culture, which will include courses on the appreciation of Chinese cultural relics. We hope that traditional Chinese culture can be spread wider and further through the carrier of cultural relics.”
