Chongqing - Crowds were waiting in line to experience a fancy cultural feast "cooked" by students and teachers from different colleges of Sichuan International Studies University (SISU). This was the venue of the first SISU International Culture Festival that offered Chongqing and German beer, French cheese, Turkish ebru, Hebrew literature, and Chinese incense art.

On Dec 3^rd, SISU International Culture Festival 2021, with the theme of Belt and Road Cultural Exchange, Diversity and Inclusiveness," kicked off. According to the introduction, this festival pools international wisdom, international strengths, and international exchanges together to display the leading role of SISU as the only university specialized in foreign languages in Southwest China in terms of cultural diversities and inclusiveness.

Costume Show staged by students from SISU (photo / SISU)

At the opening ceremony, students staged a spectacular costume fashion show. They were dressed in unique traditional costumes that stood for countries of languages they were learning, such as traditional royal costumes of Europe, goddess costumes in the Greek myth, Chinese Han-styled costumes, and so forth. This show was not only about costumes because performers perfectly displayed cultural elements through proper etiquette, language skills, etc.

A traditional game of Australia (iChongqing/ Mu Xuelin)

Students are making Korean food(iChongqing/Mu Xuelin)

Twenty-eight cultural display stands displaying countries like Germany, France, Russian, Thailand, China, and four unique display stands representing talents training programs for international organizations, international laws, and so forth had been set up during the festival. At those stands, every country's specialties, culture, and folk customs were displayed and introduced by students and teachers. When asked what the festival meant to them, a student who studied Hebrew and served at the Israel cultural display stand said they could present the beauty of the ancient language Hebrew and Israeli culture to more people. A teacher who taught the Vietnamese language said this festival provided an ideal stage for students to practice what they learned. She introduced that they taught students languages, local culture, and folk customs. At the same time, she showed those unique Vietnam-styled bamboo hats to us and proudly said those hats were designed and decorated by her students.