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During the Spring Festival, Zhoucun Ancient Commercial City comprehensively showcased the traditional culture and modern charm of Zhoucun to foreign friends, presenting its unique and captivating tourism resources and local folk customs. It has become an international stage for cultural exchange between China and the world. The diverse elements of Chinese culture found in the ancient city serve as excellent material for promoting traditional Chinese culture and showcasing Zhoucun. The photo shows both domestic and international tourists joyfully experiencing the festive fun brought by various folk activities at Zhoucun Ancient Commercial City.
During the 2012 Spring Festival, Zhoucun in Shandong welcomed 70 international students from over 30 countries including Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, India, and Botswana. These foreign students who stayed in China gathered in Zhoucun to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. They pasted Spring Festival couplets, made dumplings, enjoyed New Year’s Eve dinner, set off fireworks, admired lanterns, and watched the Spring Festival Gala, all in a joyful and festive atmosphere, celebrating a harmonious and lively New Year’s Eve.
On January 23, also the first day of the Lunar New Year, the foreign students toured Zhoucun Ancient Commercial City under the guidance of a tour guide, experiencing the business culture of Shandong’s merchants and immersing themselves in traditional Chinese folk culture. They donned traditional Chinese ethnic costumes and participated in folk activities such as dry-land boat rowing, bridal sedan chair carrying, and silk ball tossing alongside locals in the ancient city, having a great time. The fine weather also greatly boosted people’s enthusiasm for travel, with a noticeable increase in self-driving tourists from nearby cities such as Jinan, Qingdao, and Dongying. Various folk activities were fully staged within the ancient city, offering a splendid experience.
In activities where foreign students wore traditional Chinese attire to perform dry-land boat rowing, donkey riding, and wedding ceremonies, they drew bursts of laughter from the crowd. Both domestic and international tourists thoroughly enjoyed the festive fun brought by these folk activities.
Since ancient times, cultural exchange between China and other countries has been an important condition for global cultural progress and an inherent requirement for promoting cultural globalization and diversity. China began its process of cultural exchange as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. With the development of the times, this exchange has deepened continuously, eventually becoming an integral part of the profound and enduring richness of Chinese culture.
Zhoucun Ancient Commercial City is comprehensively showcasing the traditional culture and modern charm of Zhoucun to foreign friends, presenting its unique and captivating tourism resources and local folk customs. It has become an international stage for cultural exchange between China and the world. The diverse elements of Chinese culture found in the ancient city serve as excellent material for promoting traditional Chinese culture and showcasing Zhoucun.
The foreign students expressed that they really enjoy Chinese culture, especially in Zhoucun, where there are many things representing Chinese characteristics – it is a place worth cherishing. A Ghanaian student named Aiweihua said: “I love Chinese culture, and I also enjoy singing the Northeastern Errenzhuan (a traditional Chinese comedic duet). Coming here helped me understand what Chinese New Year is all about, and I learned a lot of New Year greetings. It was very interesting and meaningful.”
It is reported that this “Foreign Students Celebrate Chinese New Year in Zhoucun” public welfare event had the highest number of participants and participating countries to date. Since 2010, Zhoucun Ancient Commercial City has launched the “Foreigners Celebrate Chinese New Year in Zhoucun” event, which presents China’s outstanding traditional ethnic culture from a unique foreign perspective. It has enhanced the international influence of “Celebrating Chinese New Year in Zhoucun” and become a highlight of domestic tourism during the Spring Festival golden week.