Students showing their handicrafts

The opening ceremony of the 10th Asian Cultural Festival and Youth Cultural Exchange Camp took place at Guangxi International Business Vocational College on May 21.

The festival, which lasted for six days, carried out cultural activities with the theme of building the Belt and Road as well as drawing a blueprint for cooperation. It aimed to give the teens from China and ASEAN a deeper understanding of Nanning, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and its important strategic significance in cooperative development in the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA).

The students participated in the exhibition of many examples of traditional cultural heritage including shadow puppets, Mulao paper-cutting, Zhuang patchwork, circular fans made of bamboo and silk, traditional sports, calligraphy and painting, Chinese instruments, and the Zhuang embroidery ball.

Luo Huaqing, an inheritor of Mulao paper-cutting, a form of intangible cultural heritage, displayed an 8-meter-long Chinese paper-cutting to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Luo also told the teachers and students about the essence of the art of paper-cutting and demonstrated skills. Huang Biyu, a Zhuang patchwork inheritor, as well as Huang Ke, a circular fan inheritor, also gave students interesting lessons on their respective forms of intangible cultural heritage.

At the same time, students from different countries gave outstanding performances showcasing various cultures and customs. Many other activities provided students with opportunities to experience the delicious foods of countries participating in the BRI, diverse costumes of ASEAN as well as the landmarks and special local products of Guangxi.

During the festival, teens from Guangxi International Business Vocational College and ASEAN participated in forums in the Youth Cultural Exchange Camp, widening their views on cooperation and innovation by exchanging ideas and experiencing different cultures. They also went to the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi and landmarks in Nanning, and attended exhibitions of Chinese martial arts, shadow puppetry, tea art, calligraphy and painting, drum music, and paper-cutting.

Ultimately, the camp enhanced students’ understanding of China, including its economic and social development, and also encouraged young people from all countries to participate in the Belt and Road and the construction of CAFTA.

The college has held the festival 10 times since 2010.