Programme: Youth Cultural Study and Exploration Program
Partner Institution: Lanzhou University
Period: June 8—19, 2023
I have been deeply attracted by the history and culture of the Silk Road since I visited the Silk Road Historical Civilization Exhibition in the Gansu Provincial Museum. Through studying, I gained a deeper understanding of the origin, development, and influence of the Silk Road on world history. Participating in the Silk Road cultural relics card creative education activity, I also created my own "cultural relics card sent to the world," experiencing the joy of cultural creativity. Then, we divided into groups and visited the ethnic flavor street and night market in Lanzhou City at night, tasting Northwest ethnic snacks such as hand-caught lamb, noodles with milk and eggs, and fermented glutinous rice. These delicacies are not only rich in taste but also inherit the history and culture of the Silk Road, giving me a deeper understanding of Lanzhou's food culture.
In the following itinerary, I participated in the joint launching ceremony of the cultural traveler study and research project and got to know the UNESCO Asia-Pacific World Heritage Training and Research Center. We visited the Lanzhou Beef Noodle Inheritance Base, listened to the historical story of Lanzhou Beef Noodles, experienced the traditional noodle-making process, and made a bowl of our own noodles. During the visits to Wuwei Confucian Temple and Jinchang City, I gained a deeper understanding of China's history, culture, and aerospace industry, making me feel more connected with the motherland and appreciating its rapid development over the years.
In the days that followed, when we visited the Great Wall of Jiayuguan, we participated in a special workshop on the Great Wall, which included historical and cultural explanations, simulated city wall ramming techniques, and the themed "Historical Reappearance Small Theater" scene performance based on frontier poetry. These activities allowed me to experience the charm of the Great Wall and its heavy sense of history. As a world cultural heritage, the Great Wall is one of the treasures of Chinese culture. During the visit, I learned about the construction technology, historical background, and cultural connotation of the Great Wall, giving me a deeper understanding of the outstanding achievements of ancient Chinese culture, more recognition of the national cultural heritage, and realizing that I am a part of this cultural tradition.
What shocked and made me proud the most was visiting the Mogao Grottoes. As a treasure of ancient Chinese grotto art, Mogao Grottoes demonstrate the splendor and wisdom of ancient Chinese civilization. This visit allowed me to know and understand China's long-standing cultural traditions better and made me feel deeply that I am a part of this culture. The murals and sculptures of Mogao Grottoes attracted me with their exquisite artistic skills and profound connotations. In these ancient works, I saw the wisdom and creativity of the ancient Chinese people. Whether it is the diversity of artistic expression techniques or the richness of content, they all demonstrate the outstanding achievements of ancient Chinese culture. This makes me deeply proud, and I am honored to be Chinese.
As the journey draws to a close and we bid farewell, I suddenly look back. Apart from the majesty of the motherland above, what saddens me the most are the students from Hong Kong, Macau, and Lanzhou University who accompanied me for the past 12 days. Thinking about it now, I still have too many regrets. At this moment, I still don't want to say goodbye in my heart, and I still miss this group of lovely people. If time could turn back, I would hope to work hard to make these regrets a little less. However, no matter what, we cannot go back. Then let us look forward to the future when we may be able to say, "Long time no see."
