A group of experts and scholars from UNESCO and Greece pay a visit to the Qingdao WCNA and experience local culture. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A group of experts and scholars from UNESCO and Greece recently paid a visit to the Qingdao West Coast New Area (Qingdao WCNA) in Shandong province and were impressed by Qingdao's rich and diverse cultural deposits.

At a primary school in the Qingdao WCNA, students gave a mini-stage drama performance of a story from The Book of Songs and a shadow play from the well-known scene Monkey Subdues White-Skeleton Demon from the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. The poetic and musical ancient rhythms and the artistic fusion of light and shadow were vividly presented, eliciting positive reactions from the audience.

The group of international experts and scholars also personally experienced paper-cutting, participated in making and tasting spring rolls and green rice balls, immersed themselves in the charm of traditional Chinese culture and experienced the preservation and promotion of Chinese civilization among the younger generation.

During their trip to a high school in the area, Elena Avramidou, associate professor at Ionian University in Greece, delivered a lecture on the protection of Greek cultural heritage, cultural exchange between China and Greece, and the importance of world cultural heritage protection in the modern world.

After the lecture, Elena engaged in discussions with teachers and students from primary and secondary schools in the Qingdao WCNA. The lively and relaxed exchange sparked intellectual discussions, which promoted cultural exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilizations among the students.

Since 2023, the Education and Sports Bureau of the Qingdao WCNA, in collaboration with the World Sinology Center (Qingdao), has taken full advantage of cultural exchanges between Chinese and foreign nationals and the practice base for cultural exchanges between Chinese and foreign youth in the new area.

They have jointly organized a series of cultural exchange activities, and over 100 experts and scholars from more than 80 countries have experienced the modern development vitality of Chinese basic education and recognized the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture through various means. These efforts aim to gather more international, youthful, and diverse forces to promote mutual learning and exchanges between Chinese and foreign civilizations, contributing to the internationalization of education in Qingdao.

The group of international experts and scholars experience paper-cutting and other traditional Chinese art forms. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The international experts and scholars immerse themselves in the charm of traditional Chinese culture. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]