Italian Teachers and Students Fall in Love with Chinese Culture in Taizhou

"I love Taizhou! I adore Chinese culture!" "Taizhou has so many fascinating places and delicious foods, and it has allowed us to experience the splendid traditional culture of China. We love Taizhou!" Recently, Taizhou Vocational & Technical College welcomed a group of guests from afar—Professor Francesco Sani, an internationally renowned designer from the Lucca Advertising Institute in Italy, and his 13 students. A cross-border cultural exchange feast unfolded here, as Chinese and Italian students joined hands to experience intangible cultural heritage activities such as paper-cutting, the guqin (ancient zither), Taizhou embroidery, incense art, and local cuisine, while also visiting local cultural landmarks to feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture up close.

It is understood that this event was the second session of the "‘Artistic’ Splendor" China-Italy Youth Exchange Camp, hosted by Taizhou Vocational & Technical College. Under the theme "Ancient Charm of Taizhou · Building with Craftsmanship," the camp lasted for six days from October 20 to 25. Six Chinese students from the College of Architectural Engineering and the College of Information Technology Engineering, along with the Italian students, participated in the event.

At the opening of the event, Guo Wuyan, Member of the College Party Committee and Vice President, extended a warm welcome to the Italian guests on behalf of the faculty and students. She emphasized that this exchange camp is a key initiative of the college in practicing its internationalization philosophy. Using architecture and imagery as mediums, it builds a bridge for Chinese and Italian youth to "learn from each other and deepen friendships," promoting deeper cooperation between the two institutions and regions through cultural exchange. She expressed her hope that this exchange would further enhance mutual understanding, allowing the Italian teachers and students to personally experience the profound depth of Chinese culture, while also encouraging Taizhou Vocational & Technical College students to embrace the diversity of global cultures more openly.

During the event, the Italian teachers and students immersed themselves in the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture. In Huangyan, the students visited the Huangyan Grottoes and Huangyan Museum, tried their hand at making traditional opera costumes and paper-cutting, and experienced wearing Song Dynasty-style clothing and walking on stilts. In Linhai, they toured the Ancient Architecture Museum, tried wood carving, and explored Ziyang Street and the Jiangnan Great Wall. In Jiaojiang, they visited Xin Hai Tian Di and Jiazi Old Street, experiencing the guqin, Taizhou embroidery, and incense art. An intangible cultural heritage inheritor of the guqin performed the famous piece "High Mountains Flowing Water" for the guests, earning rounds of applause.

Beyond cultural exchanges outside the campus, the Italian teachers and students also participated in culinary culture experiences on campus. The college's Xin Rong Ji College welcomed the Italian delegation with the characteristic "Taizhou warmth," allowing them to fully appreciate the breadth and depth of Chinese culinary culture. Subsequently, through collaboration and interactive exchanges, the students from both sides completed thematic photography and short video projects, followed by a sharing session of their works.

Professor Francesco Sani, the Italian lead teacher, spoke highly of the exchange: "This trip to China has allowed me to experience things different from our Europe." Gioele Oriani, an Italian student passionate about music, expressed his delight at the event: "During this activity, I encountered the guqin, which I had never been exposed to before. I feel incredibly happy!"

Wang Ting, Director of the International Cooperation Office at Taizhou Vocational & Technical College, stated that with the accelerating process of globalization, cultural exchange has become an important pathway to enhance mutual understanding and friendship among people from different countries. The success of this China-Italy youth cultural exchange activity has not only built a bridge for mutual learning and shared growth between the youth of both countries but has also injected new vitality into promoting cultural exchange and cooperation between China and Italy.

Translator：Jiayang Lin