A cup of clear tea, lasting elegance. On the afternoon of November 24th, the Overseas Education Center of the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Soochow University held a unique tea culture experience activity for international students in Room 301 of the East Teaching Building. Hosted by Teacher Zhang Fuya from the Overseas Education Center, the event invited national senior tea artist Guan Yunxi to demonstrate and teach tea art. More than 30 international students from various countries participated and immersed themselves in the profound charm of Chinese tea culture.
First, Zhu Lvhua, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Office, delivered a speech for the event. Taking "Suzhou's famous tea Biluochun" as the starting point, she introduced tea culture and Chinese culture. She stated that tea holds a unique position in Chinese civilization—it is not only a beverage but also a bridge connecting Chinese and foreign cultures. She hoped that students could gain a deeper understanding of Chinese people's lifestyle and philosophical thoughts by making and tasting tea with their own hands. Subsequently, national senior tea artist Teacher Guan Yunxi brought an elegant and exquisite tea art performance to the students. From warming the utensils, placing tea leaves, brewing to serving tea, every movement was calm and elegant, embodying the spiritual connotation of Chinese tea ceremony: "harmony, tranquility, joy, and truth." The international students watched attentively and couldn't help but exclaim from time to time. Under Teacher Guan's careful guidance, the students all got hands-on experience with the entire tea-making process. Everyone carefully learned how to hold the teapot, pour water, smell the aroma, and taste the tea, feeling the delicacy and beauty of tea art through practice. Chang'an, an international student from Nigeria, said: "It turns out there are so many nuances to making tea—every movement has a sense of ritual, giving me a new understanding of Chinese culture." During the tea tasting session, the students sampled different types of tea soup, including white tea, dark tea, black tea, and green tea. Teacher Guan explained the characteristics and tasting methods of various teas.
During the event, the international students actively asked questions—from tea origins and production processes to tea set selection—and Teacher Guan patiently answered each one. The atmosphere on-site was warm and lively. In her summary, Teacher Zhang Fuya from the School of Chinese Language and Literature pointed out that tea culture is an important part of Chinese traditional culture and a window for international students to understand China. She encouraged the students to not only taste and love tea in the future but also bring Chinese tea culture back to their home countries and become envoys of cultural exchange between China and foreign countries. This tea culture experience not only allowed international students to appreciate the charm of Chinese traditional culture amidst the fragrance of tea but also further enhanced their sense of identity and closeness to Chinese culture. The event concluded successfully amidst the fragrance of tea and laughter.
Soochow University (Soochow University)
Nicknamed "SUDA" (short for Soochow University), it is located in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province. It is a key comprehensive university under the jurisdiction of the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, a "Double First-Class" university jointly built by the Ministry of Education and the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, a university jointly built by the China National Space Administration, and one of the first universities included in the national "211 Project" and "2011 Plan."
The predecessor of the university, the private Soochow University, originated from the Soochow University Hall founded in 1900. In August 1952, the School of Chinese Language and Literature, Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, Department of Biology of the private Soochow University, the Sunan College of Culture and Education, and the Department of Mathematics and Physics of the private Jiangnan University merged to form the Sunan Normal College, located on the original site of the private Soochow University. In December of the same year, it was renamed "Jiangsu Normal College." In February 1982, the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government approved the transformation of Jiangsu Normal College into a provincial comprehensive university, named "Soochow University." In the same month, Suzhou Finance and Economics School was merged into Soochow University. In June of the same year, the State Council officially approved the change of Jiangsu Normal College to Soochow University. In 1995, Suzhou Sericulture College was merged into Soochow University. In 1996, Soochow University was selected as a national "211 Project" construction university. In 1997, 2000, and 2012, Suzhou Institute of Silk Technology, Suzhou Medical College, and the Suzhou Campus of Nanjing Railway Vocational and Technical College were successively merged into Soochow University. In 2017 and 2022, Soochow University was selected as one of the first batch and the second round of national "Double First-Class" construction universities respectively.
