Roses were flourishing on campus at this time of Grain in Ear. On the campus of Jinzhou Medical University, 21 international students from 21 countries in their respective national dress were joyfully heading for the classroom for Chinese culture in the International Education College, ready for a cultural feast.

On June 6, the sharing meeting of “National Treasures in Liaoning, A Feast for International College Students” was hosted at Jinzhou Medical University. Upon entering the quaint classroom for Chinese culture, the international students were immediately captivated by the large posters printed with national treasures in Liaoning. They stopped to appreciate these posters and take selfies with them. The exquisite and elegant hollowed-out palace lanterns illuminated the large background wall of national treasures, which made the millennial legends of Liaoning unfold slowly like a scroll of paintings.

After the sharing meeting started, two short videos titled “Gilded Wooden Stirrups” and “Duck-shaped Glass Water Dropper” were played first on the large screen. They were two episodes from the series of short videos of National Treasures in Liaoning. The “moving” and “turning” cultural relics through the use of animation technology and the restored historical scenes took everyone present back to the ancient Liaoning 1,600 years ago in an instant: double stirrups spread from West Liaoning to Europe along the Grassland Silk Road, exerting profound influence on the birth of the “Age of Knights”; the glass water dropper came from the region of ancient Rome along the Grassland Silk Road to the Northern Yan Dynasty, witnessing the cultural exchanges and mutual learning between the East and the West. Next, Zhang Song, the creator in chief, gave a lecture titled “‘The Legends of the Three Yan Dynasties’ in the World of Cultural Relics”, in which he introduced the characteristics and historical status of the cultural relics of the three Yan dynasties in detail and related the stories behind them. The international students in front of the lectern listened attentively and with relish and warm applause erupted from time to time.

The 21 international students, who participated in the activity, come from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Jamaica and so forth. They are full of praise for this unique “class on the culture and history of Liaoning”. Wazhoudu is an international student from Pakistan who loves studying ancient Chinese culture in his spare time. He found many cultural relics in the lecture that he had never known before. “I really love the duck-shaped glass water dropper in the video. It has such a unique shape and complicated craftsmanship. It is the millennial witness to the crucial historical status of ancient Liaoning in the civilization communication between the East and the West. It is extremely rare and precious”, said Wazhoudu.

In the spirit of this activity, Borkar Mrinal Bhimrao from India and Indah Harmay from Indonesia wore their own national dress especially for this occasion. As Indah Harmay examined closely the tree-shaped gold shimmering headdress printed on the bookmark, a cultural and creative product of “National Treasures in Liaoning”, she said excitedly while pointing at her own traditional Bengkulu headdress that “Look! Don’t the ancient headdresses in our two countries look alike? There are cultural and people-to-people exchanges as well as cultural integration between China and Indonesia. From the national treasures in Liaoning, I recognize not only the richness and inclusiveness of the history of China but also the rich and profound culture of Liaoning in the past millennium”.

Enkhbayar Enkhzul, an international student from Mongolia, speaks fluent Chinese and is keen on the cultural exchange between China and Mongolia. She often shares her thoughts on Chinese culture on social media. “Today’s sharing meeting is an excellent opportunity for us to have a deep understanding of the culture and history of Liaoning. The stories behind the national treasures in Liaoning are extremely touching. Appreciating these cultural relics made me feel as if I had travelled back to ancient Liaoning along with the ‘plot’ of the video”. “During my study, I will know about more national treasures in Liaoning and share them with more people through the platform of social media. I will let my relatives and friends thousands of miles away have a feast for their eyes and experience the charm of the national treasures in Liaoning with me”, said Enkhbayar Enkhzul.

“This sharing meeting was a feast of civilization encounters between the East and the West, which triggered the rich interest of international students in the splendid and time-honored Chinese culture. They not only gained cultural knowledge but also were deeply touched by the stories behind the national treasures in Liaoning. They are ready and eager to spread the culture of national treasures”, said Wang Aimei, the dean of International Education College, Jinzhou Medical University.