Under the bright spring sunshine, Shenyang University welcomed 26 Italian high school students from the Sophie Scholl Language High School in Trento, Italy, who have come to learn Chinese and its culture.

During the two weeks, these 26 Italian high school students will not only delve into the knowledge of the Chinese language but also experience the unique charm of Chinese traditional cultural arts such as Chinese paintings, ceramics, Tai Chi, Pingju Opera, and Cloisonné enamel. They will visit world cultural heritage sites such as the Shenyang Imperial Palace to gain insights into Shenyang’s historical culture. They will also visit ordinary households in Shenyang and immerse themselves in the happy life of the Shenyang people by living with them.

At the opening ceremony, teachers from Shenyang University introduced the historical culture of Shenyang and presented gifts with Shenyang cultural characteristics to the Italian teachers and students. Accompanied by students from Shenyang University, Italian students sang Italian songs. In the first cultural experience class, the Italian students learned Chinese Tai Chi. Martial arts teacher Ji Mengfei taught them the simplified 24-form Tai Chi. Many students have a strong interest in Chinese martial arts and finally have the opportunity to learn up close. On the playground, the Italian students dressed in clean white Chinese clothing, earnestly learning each move. Italian high school student Tommaso learned quickly and mastered each movement accurately. He was deeply attracted by the charm of Chinese martial arts and hoped to continue learning Chinese Tai Chi in the future. In the ceramics class, students rolled up their sleeves to learn pottery making, eagerly anticipating making pottery by hand. Several female students expressed their excitement, and their desire to bring the pottery they made back home.

Carmen, a teacher from the Sophie Scholl Language High School in Trento, Italy, expressed her sincere gratitude to Shenyang University for providing students with the opportunity to experience Chinese culture in Shenyang. They are looking forward to embarking on a journey of Chinese language and Chinese traditional culture study in Shenyang. This study tour to be carried out will promote the cultural exchanges between China and Italy and tell Shenyang’s stories to Italian teenagers in various ways.