The opening ceremony of the 10th version of the International Cultural Festival took place on Saturday May 11th, 2019, with the traditional Global Village where countries are represented by booths that the students have prepared.
His Excellency Mr. Masood Khalid, Ambassador of Pakistan to China, His Excellency Mr.Karunasena Kodituwakku, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China, Mr. Raheel Tariq, First Secretary,Pakistan Embassy in China, and Mr. Muhammad Suleman Mahsud，Educational attaché, Pakistan Embassy in China attended the event.
Yang Bin stated in the speech that the international cultural festival and cultural expo, which have become the new tradition among Tsinghua students, are good embodiments of "A more Open and Confident Tsinghua" . Nearly 3,800 international students from 128 countries and regions learn from each other, exchange their unique cultures and ideas, and enrich the global competency education environment of Tsinghua University.
This year, guests were given a Global Village passport, to tour the “Tsinghua world” and “build bridges and greet the world.” Cultural artifacts, brochures and costumes were displayed at the booths of the 50 countries represented. The Indian stand offered their visitors Mehndi (henna tattoos), while the French played “pétanque”. Most of the stands prepared food and drinks. Korean rice cakes, crêpes, pasta and all kinds of different foods were offered at the event, to introduce partakers to the world’s cuisines.
“It is a great opportunity to show your country, people don’t always know what Nepal is about and I can educate them about my country,” said Sangeet Sangroula, journalism student from Nepal.
The day was enlivened by performances from the different cultures represented at Tsinghua, from martial arts to singing and dancing; the world’s arts were represented to satisfy everyone’s tastes. Isaac Banda from Malawi performed “Loliwe”, a song in Xhosa by the South African singer, Zahara. He said “I know how to sing and play the guitar, so even if I was nervous, it was a great opportunity for me to demonstrate my culture.”
This year’s International Cultural Festival is composed of six individual events, showcasing different aspects of the nationalities present on the Tsinghua campus: Global Village 2019; “YEAH! World” Culture Series – Destination Southeast Asia; “YEAH! World” Culture Series – Sleepless Seoul; Tsinghua’s Got Talent Show; “YEAH! World” Culture Series – Japanese Campus Festival; and “YEAH! World” Culture Series – Africa Day Celebration.
Writer: Angela Hua
Photo: Wang Zhi Rui
