From 31 October to 1 November, more than 70 international students in China travelled to Hangzhou for an “Experiencing China” social practice activity. Taking “Jiangnan cultural heritage · Chinese tea culture” as its main thread, the activity combined a cultural survey of West Lake, visits to historic districts and an immersion in Longjing tea culture, guiding the students to appreciate the cultural depth of Jiangnan through on-site visits and to learn about fine traditional Chinese culture.
At West Lake, the students took a boat out to Xiaoying Island, experiencing at close hand landmark scenes such as the “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon” amid the lake’s scenery of hills and water, and learning, as they strolled and listened to the commentary, about the history and culture the lake carries and the aesthetics of Jiangnan. Min Shixun (Republic of Korea), a student of Finance from the class of 2022, said, “Seeing the real ‘Three Pools Mirroring the Moon’ on Xiaoying Island and realising that it is the image on the back of the one-yuan banknote was truly striking. West Lake is vaster and grander than I had imagined, and very beautiful.”
Hangzhou · West Lake
Leaving West Lake, the students walked into Hefang Street and the Southern Song Imperial Street. Traditional lanes, time-honoured shops, historic architecture and a variety of traditional handicrafts together sketch a distinctive picture of Hangzhou’s urban folk culture. As they walked, the students observed how traditional commercial streets blend with contemporary urban life, felt the living atmosphere that the historic districts of Jiangnan have retained to this day, and gained another perspective on the historical thread linking Southern Song culture with the development of the city of Hangzhou. The original plan of the activity also listed Hefang Street, the Southern Song Imperial Street and an experience of Jiangnan’s intangible cultural heritage as key elements for understanding the everyday culture of Jiangnan.
From lakes, hills and streets into the tea garden, another facet of Jiangnan culture unfolded. At the Longjing tea plantation, the students changed into Chinese-style attire and strolled among the tea bushes, learning about the growing environment of West Lake Longjing tea and the knowledge of tea culture, and, through tasting Longjing tea, practising tea art and sampling tea refreshments, experiencing the aesthetics of everyday life embodied in Chinese tea culture.
Sasha (Belarus), a student of International Economics and Trade from the class of 2026, said, “Strolling through the Longjing tea garden in Chinese dress felt wonderfully relaxing. Tasting Longjing tea and tea refreshments and learning about tea art also gave me a much more concrete and deeper understanding of Chinese tea culture.”
From the waters and hills of West Lake and the historic streets to a cup of Longjing tea, the two days of practice turned “Chinese culture” as taught in the classroom into scenes that could be seen, felt and experienced. Through walking, observing and taking part, the international students further appreciated the distinctive charm of Jiangnan culture and Chinese tea culture, and deepened their understanding of Chinese society and culture through cross-cultural exchange.
