Mon Apr 28
Words transcend borders, and ideas spark resonance — The World Book Day Foreign Language Salon was successfully held in Jinan
2025-04-28
To celebrate "World Book Day" and further enrich the cultural reading life of citizens, the "Guofengyuan·Hanmo Liuxiang" (Chinese Elegance·Ink and Fragrance) World Book Day Foreign Language Salon was enthusiastically held on the afternoon of April 19 at the Shandong Jinan Immigration and Exit-Entry Service Center in Qianfo Mountain Building. Jointly organized by the Jinan Public Security Bureau Entry-Exit Administration, Jinan Library, GO UP Foreign Language Club, and Hubei Chinese Online Digital Publishing Co., Ltd., the event gathered 15 international students from 9 countries including Kenya, South Korea, and Egypt, along with over 20 Jinan residents. Through interactive sessions like "knowledge exchange," "team games," and "topic discussions," participants explored the profound connection between written language and human civilization through cross-cultural communication.
The event commenced with Dr. Yu Cong from Jinan Preschool Education College delivering a lecture titled The Origin and Development of Chinese Characters. Young librarians from Jinan Library then introduced the library's services and Spring City Study Rooms in both Chinese and English, extending warm invitations to international students.
Team games followed, featuring three creative segments: "Silent Theater: Decoding the Soul of Words through Body Language," "Brush Conveyance: Symbol Games Breaking Cultural Barriers," and "Character Puzzle: Deconstructing Chinese Characters to Spark Cultural Amazement." Participants immersed themselves in experiencing the charm of traditional Chinese characters through playful learning. The event culminated in a lively debate on topics like "Will e-books replace paper books?," fostering in-depth discussions among students from diverse backgrounds.
By establishing a multilingual communication platform, this initiative aimed to amplify public cultural service functions. Through edutainment approaches, it not only allowed participants to appreciate the allure of different writing systems but also promoted profound intercultural dialogues at the linguistic level. Moving forward, Jinan will continue organizing such cross-cultural exchange activities to provide citizens with enriched cultural experiences, contribute to building an open and inclusive urban cultural ecosystem, and further integrate reading promotion with cultural dissemination.