During this summer, at the invitation of the Tourism Confucius Institute at Griffith University, Professor Wei Xiangqing of the School of Foreign Studies at Nanjing University led a team from the university's Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Terminology and Translation to co-host the "Shared Treasures: China-Australia Cultural Heritage Immersion Week" at Griffith University's Nathan and Gold Coast campuses with the Institute.
Members of the NJU team participating in the programme
Group photo of participants
Drawing on the team's bilingual publication China's World-Class Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Reading Series: Discovering Heritage Through Terminology, the event brought their research on translating China's ICH into intercultural exchange practice. Through English presentations, artefact displays and hands-on workshops, the team introduced participants to Chinese ICH treasures including Song brocade, Chinese engraved block printing, mortise-and-tenon joinery, Chinese paper cutting, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, as well as the Guqin. The programme also featured Australian Indigenous music, dance, painting and traditional patterns, promoting cultural dialogue between China and Australia.
Display of the book series
"Shared Treasures"- themed printing block
Wang Chaozheng, a doctoral student at the School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing University, introduces Song brocade.
Wang Shuyi, a master's student at the School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing University, introduces Chinese engraved block printing.
The week-long programme attracted more than 300 participants, including students and faculty from Australian universities, members of the Chinese community and local residents. Wei noted that the international dissemination of China's ICH should go beyond simply transferring knowledge through texts or presenting cultural symbols visually. Instead, it should return to the essential nature of ICH as knowledge embedded in practice, conveying both its intellectual and cultural value in cross-cultural contexts.
Highlights during the immersion week
Writer: Wang Shuyi
