Programme: Discover Lingnan Cultural Tour
Partner Institution: Shaoguan University
Period: April 7—10, 2023
I was very happy to participate in the Discover Lingnan Cultural Tour from April 7th to 10th, 2023.
The cultural trip gave me a deeper understanding of Lingnan culture. In Zhuji Ancient Alley, we, as human beings in the 21st century, stepped on the cobblestone road that Song people once walked. I thought it was very amazing.
The Danxia Mountain impressed me a lot. Boarding the cable car and overlooking Danxia Mountain, I felt so relaxed and happy that I felt it was worth queuing for an hour. When walking down the mountain, the steepness of the mountain made me sigh that it was not easy for the predecessors to pave the way.
We visited a small village and experienced rural culture. In Xiafu Village, we saw some old buildings that pedestrians should avoid approaching. Besides, we could only see old people, children, and their dogs. However, we could not see teenagers and adults because they all went to other places to earn money, but they would come back during traditional Chinese festivals such as Qingming Festival, Lunar New Year, and so on. In addition, we prepared our dinner together. We learned to grind soy milk. The process of grinding soy milk is simple, but to make smooth soy milk, we need to be patient. We all enjoyed the peace of the countryside.
During the cultural trip, we learned to make pottery. I made a teacup. The staff said that the inside of the cup should be smooth so that the dirt inside the teacup can be easily cleaned away. The process of making teacups was not easy for me. Therefore, this made me admire the wisdom of the ancients and cherish the intangible cultural heritage.
In addition to understanding Lingnan culture, I also made some new friends in Shaoguan. Before participating in this event, I did not know all the participants. Thanks to the cultural trip, in Shaoguan, I made some friends from different schools. In the evening, we drank tea, chatted with friends, and played games together. Everyone was very relaxed. Although we left Shaoguan, we are still friends, and we keep sharing our life stories on social media. I hope that we can meet each other again soon.
To conclude, I have learned a lot from the cultural trip.