BLCU News, April 28 (Correspondent Yan Jiayi, Photographers Wei Da et al.) – On April 26, the 20th World Culture Festival Garden Fair at Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) grandly commenced. Over 40,000 faculty, students, alumni, and guests from 113 countries and regions gathered at BLCU to appreciate the beauty of global cultures and stroll together along the corridor of world civilizations.
Foreign diplomats attending the event included: Guyanese Ambassador to China Anyin Choo, Sri Lankan Ambassador to China Majintha Jayesinghe, Chargé d'Affaires of the Egyptian Embassy in China Khaled Nazmi, Japanese Minister to China Masato Usui, and Governor of the Ionian Islands in Greece Ioannis Trepeklis.
Leaders attending the event included: Deputy Secretary-General Tian Lulu of the China Scholarship Council, Deputy Secretary-General Wang Luxin of the Secretariat of the China Education Association for International Exchange, Qi Huichao, Member of the Standing Committee and Director of the Publicity Department of the Haidian District Committee, Liu Bo, President of China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), An Yu, Deputy Party Secretary of China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Zhang Guangqing, Member of the Standing Committee and Vice President of China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Deputy Director Zhu Mengyu of the International Liaison Department of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Secretary-General Xue Changxu of the China Theatre Association, Deputy Party Secretary and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission Zhang Yongqun of the National Peking Opera Theater, Party Secretary Zhang Guojun of Beijing Children's Hospital, Director Yang Chunquan of the Shanxi Province Investment Promotion Bureau, County Magistrate Huang Ruiji of Du'an Yao Autonomous County in Guangxi, Party Working Committee Secretary Kang Yun of the College Road Subdistrict Office in Haidian District, and all BLCU university leaders.
Also attending the opening ceremony were guests from the Ecuadorian Embassy in China, French Embassy in China, Georgian Embassy in China, Greek Embassy in China, Honduran Embassy in China, Mexican Embassy in China, Russian Embassy in China, Saudi Arabian Embassy in China, Salvadoran Embassy in China, Turkish Embassy in China, Uruguayan Embassy in China, Kyrgyz Embassy in China, Jordanian Embassy in China, Ionian University in Greece, Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges at the Ministry of Education, United Front Work Department of the Communist Youth League Central Committee, Zhongguancun Science City, Publicity Department of the Haidian District Committee, Haidian District Youth League Committee, sister universities and primary/secondary schools, Baijincheng Film and Media Group, ICBC Beijing Zhongguancun Branch, Agricultural Bank of China Haidong Branch, Hainan Province Lingshui Li'an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone, Shanxi Province Foreign Affairs Office and various cities in Shanxi, as well as BLCU mid-level cadre representatives, alumni from all walks of life, and student representatives.
Party Secretary Ni Haidong announced the official opening of the World Culture Festival Garden Fair.
President Duan Peng delivered an address. He stated that over the past 20 years, the World Culture Festival has become an annual cultural event at BLCU, and according to Chinese tradition, this year marks its coming-of-age ceremony. At this grand gathering, friends from various countries come together for the beautiful vision of cultural exchanges, advance hand in hand due to the openness and inclusivity of Chinese culture, and jointly create new chapters amid the trend of win-win cooperation. Looking to the future, the university sincerely hopes to use culture as a medium and friendship as a bridge, gathering the wisdom and strength of friends worldwide to promote outstanding Chinese traditional culture and deepen mutual learning among civilizations. BLCU sincerely invites global partners to step into BLCU, share development opportunities and bright prospects, and embark on a new spring of high-quality development.
Guyanese Ambassador to China Anyin Choo, in her address, reflected on her study experiences at BLCU and expressed gratitude to the faculty and students for their hard work in the event. She emphasized that language is not only words but also a key to understanding, a bridge to empathy, and a vein of communication. She hoped everyone would uphold the spirit of "harmony in diversity," fully enjoy this cultural feast, and forge friendships across borders.
Iman Amir, Supervisor of Media Affairs and Public Diplomacy at the UAE Embassy in China, representing the guest of honor country UAE, stated in her address that UAE culture upholds values of inclusivity, friendship, and mutual respect. She hoped this garden fair would serve as an opportunity to continuously enhance understanding and friendship among nations and jointly promote mutual learning among civilizations.
Showcasing Elegance in Mutual Learning and Exchanges
The parade team, composed of over 300 students from five continents, kicked off the 20th World Culture Festival Garden Fair. Chinese and international students, dressed in distinctive national costumes, marched with spirited steps through the flags of all nations, jointly painting a youthful picture of multicultural integration.
The colorful cultural exhibitions played a harmonious symphony of beauty in unity. On this stage, the styles of all nations complement each other, national treasures shine brightly, languages interweave, and dance steps flutter, condensing the deep friendships of global friends.
The five continental exhibition areas featured over 110 cultural booths, building bridges of mutual affinity. Here, one can witness the captivating light and shadow of changing Asian landscapes, the artistic rhythm flowing from European classical paintings; the thunderous traditional African drumbeats, the lively American musical notes leaping, echoing the ancient patterns of Oceanic totems. From the subtle elegance of the East to the passionate exuberance of the West, from the profound heritage of ancient civilizations to the dynamic innovation of modern art, diverse cultures collide and blend here, with every step of exploration resembling a global journey spanning thousands of miles.
Demonstrating Confidence in Inheritance and Innovation
In the Chinese Culture Exhibition Area, visitors can personally experience traditional tea arts, national-style flower arrangement, and other classic Chinese techniques. They can don elegant and graceful Hanfu, hold fragrant sachets in their hands, immerse themselves in a cultural atmosphere inherited for thousands of years, and feel the profound heritage of outstanding Chinese traditional culture.
This garden fair invited France and the UAE as guest of honor countries for the first time. The event site featured diverse sections such as landscape exhibitions, flavor markets, interactive games, distinctive cultural creations, and food experiences, promoting deep cross-cultural dialogues among friends from various countries in a "tangible and sensory" way.
The interactive treasure hunt area transforms campus culture into perceptible immersive experiences through an innovative "culture + games" format. Visitors decode the charm of the "Mini-United Nations" amidst flash mob dances, folk music performances, surprise adventures, and other live scenes.
Coalescing Strength in Unity and Collaboration
The student services area deeply integrates with Haidian District's "2025 Zhongguancun Graduation Season" and "Mountains and Waters of Haidian, Intelligent Fun Together" 2025 Haidian District "May Day" series activities. Partnering with dozens of units in finance, technology, media, and fashion fields, it creates creative experiences such as product displays and knowledge popularization, providing abundant industry resources and cross-cultural exchange platforms.
The educational achievements exhibition area, rooted in BLCU's characteristics, builds a multidimensional display platform through policy promotion, discipline introductions, and achievement showcases, vividly interpreting BLCU's global-oriented educational philosophy and stereoscopically presenting the university's talent cultivation results.
The food experience area covers diverse categories such as specialty desserts, handmade noodles, and classic dishes, attracting numerous domestic and international visitors to taste and experience the unique charm of various countries' dietary cultures.
In the afternoon, the complementary activity of this World Culture Festival, “Journey to the Distance”—a dual solo exhibition of paintings by young teachers Yang Dongyu and Li Yiliang from BLCU's School of Art, was grandly held at the BLCU Art Gallery. President Duan Peng attended the opening ceremony and provided on-site guidance, while Deputy Party Secretary Wei Hui attended and announced the exhibition's opening.
Meanwhile, BLCU Hainan International College hosted the Hainan Lingshui Li'an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone International Culture Festival and BLCU World Culture Festival Hainan Sub-Venue Activity. Leaders from the Hainan Lingshui Li'an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone, leaders from universities stationed in the zone, all faculty from Hainan International College, and over 150 international students from 49 countries participated, achieving "sharing the same moment across distances" with faculty and students in distant Beijing, jointly witnessing the beautiful moments of China-foreign civilization exchanges.
Over its 20 years of accumulation and continuous innovation, the BLCU World Culture Festival Garden Fair has become an important platform for showcasing national cultural characteristics, a key window for understanding Chinese culture, a vital carrier for promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, and a significant showcase of BLCU's cultural construction achievements. Standing at the new starting point for the next 20 years, the university will persist in balancing tradition and innovation, using cultural heritage and diverse charm to build bridges connecting global friendships, deepening international cultural exchanges and cooperation, promoting mutual affinity among global friends, and jointly composing a new chapter in building a community of shared future for mankind.
Editor: Guo Zhanling
Reviewer: Chen Siyu
