Taste the Charm of Jiangnan Culture, Build a Bridge of Sino-Spanish Friendship
The 2025 "Journey to the South of the Yangtze River in China" by Rasel High School of Girona, Spain Concludes Successfully
On the evening of March 7, 2025, the 5-day cultural exchange activity "2025 Journey to the South of the Yangtze River in China" by Rasel High School of Girona, Spain, concluded successfully at Jiangsu University. Co-hosted by the School of Liberal Arts (Language and Culture Center) of Jiangsu University and Rasel High School of Girona in Spain, co-organized by the Spanish Chinese Language Education Center, the event received careful guidance and strong support from the Zhenjiang Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.
Visit a Millennium-Old Temple, Explore the Legend of the White Snake
Jinshan Hill in Zhenjiang is known as "a lotus flower in the middle of the river", and the "Jiangtian Chan Temple" built on it is commonly known as Jinshan Temple. Nestled against the hill, the temple’s halls and pavilions are connected one after another, layer upon layer from the foot to the top of the hill, forming the unique style of "the temple wrapping the hill". This is where the famous scene "The White Snake Floods Jinshan Temple" from China’s classic folk tale Legend of the White Snake takes place. The campers climbed up the winding stone steps to the top of Jinshan Hill. Standing atop, they overlooked the vast Yangtze River at the foot of the hill, with the beautiful scenery of Zhenjiang spreading out before them. At this moment, they not only deeply felt the time-honored cultural heritage of Jinshan Temple but also were deeply attracted by Zhenjiang’s poetic and intoxicating scenery.
National Sport Shines, Friendship Transcends Through Table Tennis
On the evening of March 4, Spanish high school students and Chinese teenagers took table tennis as a link to bridge national borders, make friends through sports, and carry out a unique cultural and sports exchange. At the event, the Spanish students, full of curiosity and enthusiasm for table tennis, launched friendly matches with Chinese teenagers. Before the official start, Teacher Chen Jing from the Department of Physical Education of Jiangsu University explained in detail the table tennis grip postures and receiving skills to the campers. To help the Spanish students understand these skills more intuitively, students from Zhenjiang Bachaxiang Primary School demonstrated them one by one and invited the campers to experience on the table. This table tennis exchange not only allowed the Spanish campers to experience the unique charm of table tennis but also broadened their horizons and enhanced friendship in cultural communication.
Visit Chongshi Girls' High School, Friendship Crosses Borders
The campers visited Chongshi Girls' High School. Through the introduction of Chongshi student ambassadors, they learned about the school’s long history and campus architectural characteristics, and walked into the English classes of Chinese students to have a joint lesson with them. During the cultural exchange session, students from Chongshi Girls' High School presented a variety of wonderful performances, including piano solo Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake, violin solo Salut d’Amour, and traditional martial art Tai Chi. The Spanish campers sang It’s Great to Have You in Spanish and the Chinese song Sorry, My Chinese Is Not Good, with their voices full of love for Chinese culture and cherishment of friendship.
Savor Century-Old Vinegar Aroma, Experience Craftsmanship in Brewing
Visiting the China Vinegar Culture Museum, the campers felt the long history and cultural connotation of Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar amid the curiosity aroused by the strong vinegar aroma. Through the narrator’s vivid explanation, the Spanish teachers and students learned about the long history of Zhenjiang vinegar culture. In the "vinegar fermented grains" craft demonstration session, they personally experienced the core steps of brewing Zhenjiang balsamic vinegar.
During this short 5-day cultural exchange activity, the 23 teachers and students from Rasel High School of Girona, Spain also visited the Jiangsu University History Museum, wandered around the ancient Xijindu Street, experienced guqin playing and Song Dynasty tea ceremony, made Taiping clay whistles by hand, visited the Mi Fu Calligraphy Park, toured Nanjing Confucius Temple and Laomen East, tasted Jiangnan’s characteristic delicacies, and appreciated the charm of Jiangnan. The rich and diverse cultural activities made the campers feel that the trip was worthwhile. They all expressed that they had gained a lot and cherished this experience deeply. At the same time, they expressed great expectations, hoping to have the opportunity to bring their friends and families to this charming land again in the future, to beautiful China, and to Zhenjiang – a city so beautiful that it makes people "jealous" (a pun referring to its famous vinegar).
(Photos/Text: Tian Haihong, Yuan Ting)
