With the invitation of “Friendly Shandong, Remarkable Shandong ‘I love you’” cultural experience activity, expats from Pakistan, Sudan and other countries walked into Juye County, Heze City, to try local food, learn historical skills and enjoy an immersive tour.
Expats appreciated traditional Chinese realistic paintings in Juye Painting and Calligraphy Academy where they learned about the techniques, skills, categories, domestic and international markets, etc. of the painting. The marvelous huge painting of elegant peonies putting on the wall and the meticulous introduction of the director evoked the interests of all expats, so they tried to create their own paintings personally. “The traditional Chinese realistic paintings are so amazing!” “I haven’t finished my painting, but can I bring it to my home for further completion?” All expats showed their love for this incredible experience and took photos with paintings to save and cherish them carefully.
As a typical intangible cultural heritage of China, paper-cutting has been widely known by expats for a long time. It not only contains abundant cultural and historical information, but also expresses people’s social cognition and ethical principles. Chang Fengling, a paper-cutting inheritor, showed various works with diverse styles and received recognition and admiration from expats. Then, with the guide of Chang, expats made their own paper-cuts in shapes of Chinese characters, stars, flowers and so on. At the end of the visit, Chang gave paper-cuts to all expats to commemorate this wonderful trip.
In addition to learning the culture of the county, the activity also brought expats to feel local customs. They stepped into Qianwangzhuang Village, which can be traced back 500 years ago and now with over 100 houses reserved. Wandering around the village, they saw several small shops with a strong sense of living, and appreciated an intangible cultural heritage exhibition, where they experienced embroidery crafts. Meanwhile, expats came across a study group from a local middle school, sharing and communicating their ideas of rural revitalization, social development and global culture exchanges.
Besides, expats enjoyed a great time in the cherry plantation of Shuwangzhuang Village. “This was my first time picking and eating fresh cherries in an orchard. It’s so terrific!” said Nabila Ibn Ziyat. With plenty of years of cherry plantation, the village is aimed at perfect cherries of good appearances, high sugar content and sweet tastes, attracting a batch of visitors each year. Expats felt so excited travelling through the orchard, and took many photos here.
It was literally an enjoyable tour, which served massive activities for expats such as Guanzi Soup tasting, rice dumplings making, and traditional opera appreciation. Also, they experienced traditional Chinese culture involving realistic paintings, Kylin culture, paper-cutting, winemaking techniques, etc.
When the activity wrapped up, Kafayat Ullah said, “Thanks to this tour in Juye County, I tried lots of local food, created a traditional Chinese realistic painting, and made a paper-cut, which I have never experienced before. I love this place so much that I will share this visit with my friends.”
