April 20 is the International Chinese Language Day. It is also the traditional Chinese solar term -- Grain Rain. To celebrate the International Chinese Language Day, our school has actively carried out a series of activities. Among them, "Tea Fragrance International" is an immersive tea culture teaching activity hosted by Kan Wenwen, associate professor and postdoctoral fellow of the School of International Education of Wenzhou University. The activity is held in the 212 tea room of the North Campus.
China is the birthplace of tea culture, and Chinese tea culture has rich stories, sounds, tastes, and thoughts, making it an indispensable part of the "Belt and Road" initiative. Allowing international students to experience traditional Chinese culture is not only an effective form of cultural dissemination but also more targeted and sustainable, meeting the requirements of national strategy. With He Zheng playing the piano accompaniment of the Chinese folk song "Jasmine", the Hanfu tea master used fragrant jasmine tea to explain to international students the types and processing methods of Chinese tea culture. Then, Dr. Kan, in fluent English, introduced the history and charm of Chinese tea culture in a simple and understandable way. Students tasted China's most representative famous teas, such as black tea and green tea, and enjoyed the mellow and aftertaste of tea fragrance and tea soup.
In addition, the students also enjoyed a performance of "Pipa Language" by Yang Fangyi, a master's student majoring in Chinese international education. The atmosphere in the tea room was particularly quiet, with the scent of tea and gentle music intermingling, as if taking people back to ancient times. The performer gently plucked the strings of the pipa, and fresh music spread out in the tea room like flying flowers. The foreign students sat quietly on the side, their eyes filled with appreciation and amazement. The pipa is the king of Chinese music. Bai Juyi's "Pipa Xing" describes its "loud strings are clamorous like a heavy rain, while small strings are murmuring like whispers. The clamorous and murmuring strings are playing together, like big pearls and small pearls falling onto a jade plate." The pipa's performance added the charm of Chinese traditional culture to this event. The atmosphere and music in the tea room perfectly combine Chinese traditional culture with modern life, allowing foreign students to deeply feel the charm and historical heritage of Chinese culture. Such exchanges are not only an interaction between cross-cultures, but also a fusion and exchange of Chinese and Western cultures, allowing people to understand and respect each other's cultures and marking a beautiful beginning of cultural exchanges.
In the "Tea Fragrance International" tea garden, Teacher Kan gave a detailed introduction to the classification and processing methods of tea to the students, allowing them to have a deeper understanding of the charm of tea culture. Afterwards, Teacher Kan led the students to the international tea garden downstairs in the International College to pick tea leaves. The students held picking baskets and enthusiastically picked the fresh and tender tea leaves, personally experiencing the wonderful process of tea growth.
Then, the students returned to the tea room, where Teacher Kan gave a detailed introduction to the production process of green tea, including picking, killing the green, rolling, and drying, allowing the students to have a deeper understanding of the tea-making process. Under the guidance of the tea master, the students made tea by hand and tried to brew it. In the blending of tea and water, the tea leaves were endowed with new vitality, and the scent of tea filled the tea room, making people intoxicated. Throughout the activity, the students not only visited and learned, but also immersed themselves in the enjoyment of Chinese culture, gaining valuable cultural experiences and life inspirations.
A female student from Nepal showed her proficiency in brewing tea, which impressed everyone and earned her thumbs up. With the guidance of the tea master, she successfully brewed a delicious cup of Longjing tea, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Chinese tea is really amazing. I have only had Pu'er tea before, but this time I learned about more different types of Chinese tea. It has really broadened my horizons."
