The "Yuelai Yuehao" series of theme activities "Monuments have history, ancient towns show a new look" was successfully held in the ancient city of Nantou in Nanshan, Shenzhen. This livelihood micro-practical activity was jointly sponsored by the Party Committee of Shenzhen University, the School of International Exchange of Shenzhen University, and the Wenshan Lake Student Community, and organized 35 international students from many countries around the world to enter the ancient city of Nantou in Nanshan and carry out a unique cultural research trip.
When the green bricks and gray tiles meet the eyes of the world, and the imprints of time and space collide with multiculturalism, starting from the majestic ancient city archway, international students listen to the story of the cultural roots of Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the South City Gate Square. Nantou Ancient City is known as "the capital of eastern Guangdong and the source of Hong Kong and Macao", and is an important birthplace of Shenzhen's history and culture. The international students set off from the South City Gate Square and visited the main attractions of the ancient city under the guidance of the docent, listened to the origin story of Shenzhen and Hong Kong culture, learned about the development process of Shenzhen from ancient Xin'an County to a modern international city, and felt the spiritual inheritance of the city's "dare to try, open and inclusive".
On the academy square, the former academy seems to travel through time and space. International students learned about the ancient Chinese education system and the concept of "respecting teachers and valuing the way" in Confucian culture, and felt the thousand-year-old tradition of "respecting teachers and valuing the way" in Chinese culture.
In the Nantou 1820 digital exhibition hall, modern technology makes history "alive". Through immersive experience, international students intuitively experienced the prosperity of the market and maritime trade in the Lingnan region of the Qing Dynasty.
In the Scholar Hua's house, the international students learned about the characteristics of Lingnan architecture, the life aesthetics of "morning flowers and evening pickups", and the craft inheritance of "ingenuity".
The "Mountains and Seas of the Same Source" exhibition area clearly outlines the cultural context of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, allowing international students to have a new understanding of the historical origins of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Walking along Xin'an County Street, the interaction between traditional arcades and modern cultural and creative spaces allows international students to deeply appreciate the unique temperament of Shenzhen, a miracle city.
In the bamboo garden next to Café de Coral Plaza, international students learned that the solid bamboo planted in the garden comes from Vietnam. This detail resonated with several Vietnamese students, allowing them to feel the emotional connection and cultural commonality in the cross-cultural exchange experience.
This visit to Nantou Ancient City not only enriches the extracurricular life of international students, but also builds a bridge of cross-cultural understanding, which is an important measure for the college to promote the deep integration of international students into local cultural life. Guangdong Street and Shenzhen University provide a platform for international students to deeply perceive culture, so that the excellent traditional Chinese culture can spread to more corners of the world through exchanges and mutual learning. Nantou Ancient City has witnessed the development and changes of Shenzhen with a thousand-year history, and has also become an important window for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries. This event spread culture through experience and enhanced understanding through exchanges, demonstrating the active practice of the School of International Exchange of Shenzhen University in the field of international education and people-to-people exchanges.
