A two-month cultural event “Trip to World Civilization: Reflets de France” started April 22 on Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)’s Songjiang campus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sino-France diplomatic ties.
Languedoc-Roussillon’s representatives Pan Lisha and Li Yi, and BONFIL’s representative Vignobles BONFILS taught students the basics of wine culture in southern France, and also wine etiquette.
That will be one of more than 30 activities during the cultural month, themed “Deux cultures et un enrichissement mutual: De la Perle de l’Orient à la Tour Eiffel (Two Cultures and Mutual Enrichment: From the Oriental Pearl Tower to the Eiffel Tower”. It also includes conferences, seminars, movie showings, artistic performances, song gala, cultural expositions and other cultural experiences.
To a background of the SISU student orchestra playing famous classic music of China and France, such as “Carmen” and “Butterfly Lovers”, Hu Lizhong, SISU’s library director; Xiao Yunshang, director of the School of French and Francophone Studies; and Zhu Minghua, CPC League Secretary, lit up a “start-up ball” at the campus’s Library and Information Center.
Wang Jing, Vice Chair of SISU’s University Council, emphasized the significance coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Sino-France diplomatic ties. She said she hopes the “Trip to World Civilization” series will become a well-known part of SISU’s cultural traditions.
Wang also highly stressed universities are cultural institutions, and that they can promote their core competitive ability only by fully studying and innovating their roles in building culture. She urged attendees to think about “where to find the university culture” and “where the uniqueness of SISU’s culture comes from.”
She also pointed out that the university’s Library and Information Center is not only a landmark but also a centre of books and information. She called on generations of students to build it into the center of SISU’s culture.
Hu Lizhong reviewed the “Trip to World Civilization” series since its founding. He told humorous stories about cultural feature of France. He said items from the library’s rare books collections would be shown for the first time during the month, including a French publication from the reign of King Louis XIV, books of French literature from the Minguo Period (the Republican China, 1912-1949), rare translations of The Little Prince, and early academic achievements in School of French and Francophone Studies. He also said that three thematic exhibitions of images – “Impetuous History”, “Exotic and Romantic Country” and “Sino-French Relations for 50 Years” – use beautiful pictures to show French culture and the solid friendship between the two countries.
