On the afternoon of June 23, the event “Bridge of Light and Shadow: Northeastern Illinois University Delegation’s Photography Journey in China” proceeded at the Liaoning Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, leading Chinese and US teachers and students to embark on a journey exploring Chinese intangible cultural heritage.

Within the center, four intangible cultural heritage experience activities not only feasted their eyes and ears, but also unlocked some Chinese herbal knowledge that had been completely unknown to them, including the medicinal function of herbal fragrance. Taiji (Tai Chi) allowed the US students to comprehend the oriental wisdom of “restraining motion with stillness” and “combining hardness and softness”; the guqin (a seven-stringed zither) performance enabled them to appreciate the profound oriental rhythm that is soothing and calm. Beyond that, making wormwood scented sachets and herbal tea bags provided an opportunity for them to “sense” the unique charm and vitality of Chinese culture, while immersing in the millennia-old medical culture of the East.

Using intangible cultural heritage experiences as a medium, the event connected the past and the future, and China and the US, aiming to let the “fragrance” of Chinese culture waft farther.