The 2026 Guizhou University International Culture Festival burst into life on the morning of May 11, with a series of cultural and technological activities taking place in and around Xishan Theater following the opening ceremony. Four events ran simultaneously, offering students and faculty members a rich mix of experiences: a traditional Chinese martial arts performance, a hands-on Chinese painting workshop, a tea culture exhibition and demonstration, and a RoboMaster robotics showcase. Students from China and around the world moved from one activity to another, turning the campus into a vibrant celebration of cultural diversity.
Chinese Martial Arts: Showcasing a Traditional Art
The martial arts performance attracted enthusiastic applause from the audience. With powerful movements and graceful techniques, Chinese student performers demonstrated the skills and spirit of traditional Chinese martial arts.
Since 2023, Guizhou University has hosted the Guizhou session of the Martial Arts Training Camp for International Students in China. The program uses martial arts as a way to introduce international students to Chinese culture, encourage friendships and promote cultural exchange.
Chinese Painting: Sharing Traditional Art with the World
At the Chinese painting workshop, teachers and students from the School of Fine Arts demonstrated traditional brushwork, painting landscapes, flowers and birds. Chinese and international students gathered around the tables to try their hand at painting and experience the distinctive techniques and aesthetics of traditional Chinese ink painting.
"Our painting program has been recognized as a national first-class undergraduate program and has a history of more than 60 years," said a representative at the School of Fine Arts booth. "We hope to use art to overcome language barriers and introduce traditional Chinese culture to people around the world."
International students also created their own paintings, experiencing firsthand the beauty of Chinese art and the possibilities for cultural exchange through artistic expression.
Tea Culture: Connecting China and Sri Lanka Through Tea
The tea exhibition, themed "Tea: A Dialogue Between East and West," was another popular attraction. Tea specialists demonstrated the art of tea preparation using leaves grown in Guizhou's high-altitude, mist-covered mountains. As the leaves slowly unfurled in hot water, visitors had the opportunity to learn about local tea traditions and experience the appeal of Chinese tea culture.
The exhibition also highlighted GZU's research cooperation with Sri Lanka. In 2024, Guizhou University and the University of Peradeniya jointly established the China–Sri Lanka Belt and Road Joint Laboratory for Green Pest Management Technology in Tea.
The partnership connects tea-growing regions in Guizhou with tea plantations in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Through research and technological cooperation, GZU has helped introduce green pest management technologies developed under the "Clean Guizhou Tea" initiative to Sri Lanka, providing practical solutions to challenges facing the local tea industry.
RoboMaster: Putting Student Innovation on Display
The RoboMaster showcase brought technology and engineering into the spotlight. An interdisciplinary student team from the School of Mechanical Engineering, the School of Big Data and Information Engineering, the North Alabama International Engineering and Technology College, and the School of Electrical Engineering presented an infantry robot developed by the team.
The demonstration featured precision shooting, agile movement and autonomous navigation, giving visitors a closer look at the technology behind the team's participation in the RoboMaster 2025 University League (RMUL). The team, named "Printk," recently made its debut at a national competition and won first prize, finishing third in the infantry robot competition. The achievement marked an important breakthrough for GZU in the event and highlighted the students' engineering skills, teamwork and creativity.
Music, Dance and Friendship Bring the Celebration to a Close
The excitement continued even after the scheduled performances had ended. Some international students spontaneously took to the stage to sing and dance. They performed folk songs in their native languages and traditional dances from their home countries, soon joined by Chinese students. The stage filled with music, laughter and applause as students celebrated together.
Yang Wei, Secretary of the CPC Guizhou University Committee, also visited the event to share in the festive atmosphere with students.
From research cooperation with Sri Lanka in green tea production to the interdisciplinary teamwork behind the RoboMaster team, the activities reflected the many ways in which GZU is expanding its international engagement. Through partnerships with overseas institutions, cultural exchange and student-led innovation, the university is creating more opportunities for people from different countries and backgrounds to learn and work together.
With a continued commitment to openness and international cooperation, GZU is working to build a more inclusive and internationally connected campus while contributing to the development of higher education through collaboration and innovation.
Editors: Pang Aizhong, Yin Zixi
Chief Editor: Li Xufeng
Senior Editor: Yao Zuozhou
Translator: Nie Xiaoxia
