In a vibrant cultural exchange initiative, nearly 100 international students from Shanghai’s universities gathered at Siping Cinema in Yangpu district on February 2nd for an immersive Lunar New Year experience. The event, strategically timed before the Spring Festival celebrations, offered foreign scholars a deep dive into traditional Chinese customs through interactive activities.
The celebration featured two distinctive cultural showcases: the launch of six specially designed blind boxes containing traditional artifacts and a hands-on calligraphy workshop. Under expert guidance, participants crafted personalized Spring Festival couplets and practiced writing the symbolic Chinese character “fu” (福), representing good fortune and happiness.
The cultural program culminated with the premiere screening of “The Moon is Yours,” a documentary directed by Fudan University alumna Wu Bei. This cinematic project represents a three-year ethnographic study initiated in September 2022 by Fudan University’s School of Journalism. The film tracks the academic and personal journeys of six international students from diverse national backgrounds and academic disciplines during their time in China.
Elijah Knowles, a 24-year-old Wushu scholar from the United States studying at Shanghai University of Sport, characterized the event as emblematic of Shanghai’s multicultural richness. “This celebration perfectly encapsulates the ‘plenty of everything’ experience that Shanghai offers international students,” Knowles remarked, highlighting the city’s capacity for cultural integration and educational hospitality.
The event demonstrates Shanghai’s ongoing commitment to promoting cultural understanding and creating meaningful connections between international students and traditional Chinese festivals through experiential learning opportunities.