More than 300 students immerse themselves in traditional Chinese culture

On April 2, Nankai University held a Huazhao Festival cultural event at College of Tourism and Service Management, where more than 300 students immersed themselves in the unique charm of fine traditional Chinese culture.

The Huazhao Festival, also known as the Flower Birthday Festival, is one of China’s traditional seasonal festivals, symbolizing the birthday of flowers and the return of spring. The cultural event recreated on campus the refined pleasures of ancient springtime pursuits, including flower appreciation, wearing floral hair ornaments, spring outings and butterfly chasing. Indoors, eight booths offered hands-on experiences of intangible cultural heritage, including traditional rubbing art, huadian (a traditional floral forehead decoration) and paper-cutting, where students and faculty members learned about the history and craftsmanship behind these traditions. On the outdoor lawn, traditional games such as pitch-pot, cuju and mushe (a traditional fifteen-pin bowling-style game) also drew enthusiastic participation from students and faculty members.

Echoing a verse about the Huazhao Festival arriving amid the calls of flower sellers, students portraying the “Twelve Flower Goddesses” dressed in traditional attire and holding seasonal bouquets, interacted with students and faculty members through poetry quizzes.

The performers portraying the “Twelve Flower Goddesses” recited classical verses, with every gesture reflecting the grace and charm of classical aesthetics. Their performances also incorporated intangible cultural heritage art forms such as traditional opera melodies and Nanyin (a musical performing art that combines vocal repertories and instrumental suites in Fujian Province). Their costumes ranged from Warring States-style skirt hem and Ming-style attire to contemporary ethnic costumes, offering a rich and multidimensional display of the diversity of traditional Chinese culture.

The event also served as a “vivid classroom” where international students could immerse themselves in Chinese culture. Vorozhba Viktoriia, a Russian undergraduate from the Class of 2024 at the College of Tourism and Service Management, took on the role of the “Hibiscus Flower Goddess”. She shared enthusiastically, “By portraying a flower goddess and reciting classical verses, I was able to truly appreciate the unique charm of Chinese culture. This hands-on experience left a lasting impression on me.”

（Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.)