Artworks crafted by students from Sichuan University of Culture and Arts have ventured onto the international stage overseas; six pieces were selected for an official exhibition during Hastings’ iconic China Lantern Festival in New Zealand, with creators conferred honorary certificates personally signed by the city’s mayor.

Hastings’ flagship annual cultural occasion, the China Lantern Festival, recently drew to a successful close. Six artworks from the university’s School of International Exchange were picked as Mianyang’s official artistic representatives for the event. An awards presentation for the distinguished students was hosted at Mianyang Foreign Affairs Office on June 4. Jing Juan, Deputy Director of the university’s Foreign Affairs Office and Deputy Party Secretary of the School of International Exchange, attended the ceremony alongside the laureates. Zhao Li, Deputy Director of Mianyang Foreign Affairs Office, presented the certificates on the mayor’s behalf. Jiang Qiang, Head of the Foreign Exchange Division at Mianyang Municipal Bureau of Education and Sports, and other pertinent municipal foreign affairs administrators were also present.

Mianyang established formal sister-city cooperative relations with Hastings, New Zealand, in July 2008. In the years thereafter, the two municipalities have fostered profound cooperation across education, cultural development and youth engagement, enabling regular reciprocal visits, joint cultural programmes and artistic exchanges to forge a solid Sino-New Zealand communication nexus. A prestigious flagship embodying bilateral amity, the China Lantern Festival constitutes a core pillar of sister-city exchanges, delivering a premium platform for youth cross-cultural interaction and the global dissemination of traditional Chinese aesthetics.

Centring on quintessential fine traditional Chinese culture, the festival prompted participating students to interpret core Chinese aesthetic values from a modern youth standpoint. Merging distinctive Bashu regional cultural elements with the festive vibe of the New Zealand gala, their finished creations boast originality, humanistic depth and artistic warmth. While preserving the intrinsic elegance of classic Chinese art, these works incorporate avant-garde contemporary artistic expressions, infusing the Hastings lantern festival with authentic Chinese cultural vibes. By compellingly chronicling narratives of China and Bashu civilisation, the exhibits garnered glowing reviews from local citizens, event organisers and international attendees.

This official accolade from Mianyang’s New Zealand sister city stands as full recognition of the participating students’ artistic proficiency, alongside high praise for the university’s stellar contributions to bilateral youth cultural exchange and the global outreach of Chinese aesthetic education. The accolade marks not only a testament to individual students’ professional literacy and creative capabilities but also tangible fruits stemming from the university’s commitment to aesthetic education, transnational cultural communication and the overseas promotion of traditional Chinese civilisation. Moving ahead, Sichuan University of Culture and Arts will continue capitalising on sister-city exchange frameworks to deepen international educational and cultural partnerships. The university will further encourage faculty and students to honour their mission as cultural ambassadors via specialised expertise, utilising art as a cross-cultural conduit to showcase the timeless charm of China’s exceptional traditional culture and the spirited persona of contemporary young Chinese learners worldwide.