On 11 Sep, the 4th Culture Roam event centered on “The Mid-Autumn Festival and Art of Fan-Making” was held in R. 107, Dianzi Building to enhance interactions between faculty and students of the college and the ANU visiting teachers and help students expand their global perspectives. Associate professor Benjamin Schwessinger and his teaching assistants were invited as guests. Some student representatives participated in the event hosted by Jenny Yang, a 2022 cohort applied physics major student.
At the start, Yang Jialin, head of the International Exchange Department, Student Council, introduced the historical origins and customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival, presenting the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture from various aspects. During the quiz session, both ANU teachers and JSC students were actively engaged in answering and guessing questions regarding the Mid-Autumn Festival customs and general knowledge. The atmosphere was cheerful and full of laughter, with the fan-making session taking the event to a new climax. After the host briefly introduced the painting techniques for Tuan Shan, a round silk fan, the ANU teachers and the participating students started to use vibrant colors to create beautiful designs on the fans with their creativity and imagination. Then, in the presentation and sharing part, everyone displayed their exquisite works and ingenious ideas. In the end, these elegant fans combining individual insights with group effort not only fully showcased the participants’ aesthetic talents and creative spirit but became the best witness of the wonderful opportunity for intercultural exchange during the traditional Chinese festival.
This event has enhanced students’ sense of recognition and pride in traditional Chinese culture, and provided a platform for ANU teaching visitors to experience and learn this rich heritage firsthand, which has highlighted the college’s advantages in international education. It has also boosted the communication and exchange between JSC students and ANU teachers while promoting the Mid-Autumn festival and will ultimately contribute to a solid cultural foundation for high-quality talent development through aesthetic education.
