From November 28 to 30, 2025, 24 international exchange students from 11 countries and regions—including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Spain, Russia, South Korea, and India—embarked on an in-depth practical study tour to Mount Tai in Shandong and the Jining Political Ethics Education Cadre College. Through diverse forms such as classroom education, on-site visits, and interactive exchanges, the members of the practice group gained an in-depth understanding of Shandong's history and culture, Confucius and Confucianism, thereby better understanding China.
Jining Political Ethics Education Cadre College - Peking University Exchange and Practice Base for International Students and Students from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan
During the visit to the Jining Political Ethics Education Base, the students moved from the classroom to the on-site, completing an immersive experience of Chinese Confucian thought. The students collectively recited passages from The Analects, transforming the Confucian concept of "governing with virtue" from words into a tangible and perceptible real-world scene. Classic wisdoms such as "cultivate oneself to bring peace to others" and "the people are the foundation of the state" became concrete and vivid through the comparative explanation of ancient and modern cases. Qufu, with its unique cultural depth, planted seeds in the students' hearts for cultivating virtue through self-cultivation and educating people through culture.
The Confucian Hall: Listening to Ancient Wisdom
At the Confucius University Hall in Nishan Sacred Land, the practice group visited the sculptures in the "Gallery of the Seventy-Two Disciples" and learned the classic stories behind them. The five themed halls unfolded in sequence, transforming the grand system of Confucian thought into a spatial narrative that can be entered, touched, and listened to.
The Temple of the Master: Engaging in a Millennium Dialogue
The practice group moved from the modern classroom to the historical site, launching an immersive political ethics education class at the Confucian Temple and Confucius Family Mansion. In front of the Dacheng Hall, they listened to the exposition of "governing with virtue"; inside the Chongguang Gate of the Confucius Family Mansion, they experienced the family tradition of "the gate of propriety and the path of righteousness" and learned the Confucian concepts of self-cultivation and governing the country.
Walking into Towns and Streets: Touching the Warmth of Humanity
The study group moved from the halls of sages to the hustle and bustle of daily life, heading to the ancient town by the Sishui River. The international students wandered through the quaint streets, visited traditional courtyards, and in their exchanges with local residents, personally felt how "the benevolent love mountains, the wise love waters" is embodied in ordinary life. This journey found a fertile ground for the Confucian thoughts they had experienced—culture was no longer just words in classics, but the warmth under the eaves, the sincerity in smiles, the life philosophy intertwined with mountains and waters, and the wisdoms about neighbors, family, nature, and daily life.
Mountains and Cities Intertwined: Observing the Symphony of Ancient and Modern Times
The practice group reached the summit of Mount Tai, the "head of the Five Great Mountains." From the ancient rituals of fengshan sacrifices to the modern practice of cultural and tourism integration, the trip to Mount Tai allowed the students to witness how a mountain bears the spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation and continuously writes a mountain chapter of inheritance and innovation in the contemporary era.
