(By Zhu Xugang, Correspondent)
On November 27, 2025, the Jingwu Community of Xinhua Street officially launched the “International Neighborhood Festival” in a warm and lively atmosphere. HUST was invited to organize over 40 international students to participate in the event. At the opening ceremony, Secretary Gao Yajuan of Jingwu Community delivered a heartfelt speech, extending a warm welcome to the international students and emphasizing that this event is a significant initiative to deepen the joint construction of an international community and promote mutual learning among civilizations. Ms. Hong Tao, Director of the Medical International Student Office of the School of International Education, HUST, thanked the Jingwu community for providing a valuable practical platform and expressed hope that the students would gain an immersive experience to perceive a “real, multidimensional, and comprehensive China.”
Amid the vibrant mood of the opening ceremony, the students visited the Haier Live Streaming Base. Stepping into the brightly lit modern live streaming room, they observed the entire process of e-commerce live streaming from product selection and on-camera presentation to backend management. Through live demonstrations by hosts and detailed explanations from staff, the students not only gained an in-depth understanding of the live streaming sales model but also personally experienced the innovative-driven, technology-powered new vision of Chinese modernization through the energy of this new digital economy.
During the “A Bite of the World” food experience session, the international students tasted and interacted on-site, savoring the flavors while genuinely feeling how China’s intangible cultural heritage “becomes alive” in contemporary life. The chefs’ skill demonstrations and professional explanations deepened everyone’s understanding of the exquisite craftsmanship and cultural significance of these intangible cultural heritage techniques.
In the “Handmade Connections, Cultural Rhymes” session, the venue was filled with the scent of ink and the flutter of skillful hands. Under the guidance of community instructors, the international students picked up brushes to experience the charm of calligraphy, wielded scissors to explore the artistry of paper-cutting, assembled traditional architectural puzzles, and hand-strung gleaming candied haws. Each piece they completed was not only a vivid inheritance of craftsmanship but also a beautiful testimony to cultural exchange between China and other countries, allowing the students to deepen their understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture through hands-on practice.
The final stop of the activity was a visit to the public service spaces of Jingwu Community, where the students gained insight into the community’s innovative practices in joint construction and shared benefits of an international community. Well-equipped convenience facilities, diverse cultural activities, and a multi-stakeholder governance model allowed the students to personally experience the modern achievements of grassroots social governance in China. They came to understand that Chinese modernization is not only reflected at the macro level but also implemented in people-oriented, harmonious, and inclusive community building practices, providing a vivid example for the construction of international communities.
The participants all expressed the sincere gratitude to this event, in which the in-depth community practice allowed them to truly touch the warmth and context of Chinese society. They hope to serve as envoys facilitating communication between Chinese and foreign civilizations in the future, transforming their personal experiences in China into vivid stories that enhance global understanding and friendship.
HUST will continue to deepen cooperation with Jingwu Community and other surrounding international communities, promote the high-quality development of the “HUST Model” of national conditions education, and continuously expand diverse social practice platforms. This will assist international students in deeply perceiving and understanding China, contributing to the cultivation of a new generation of international talents who know and befriend China.
