Peking University, October 20, 2025: In this golden season of autumn, the 22nd International Culture Festival welcomed students across the globe to a dynamic day of cross-cultural connections. The outdoor carnival held at PKU Hall Plaza featured 51 booths, representing 47 countries and displaying a myriad of colourful costumes, traditional snacks, and exciting music. With 7 distinct segments, participants were invited on an immersive journey across borders, from savoring delicious treats at the International Food Festival to experiencing traditional craft activities at the International Handicraft Workshop. 



At the Opening Ceremony, foreign dignitaries, school leaders, and government officials were in attendance. Delivering the opening remarks, Vice President Fang Fang of PKU highlighted the profound integration of science and technology with humanities, embodied in the theme “Catch the AI Wave Together.” Emphasizing PKU’s commitment to openness, inclusivity, and an international outlook, Fang Fang underscored the central role of the International Culture Festival as a platform to infuse campus culture with international diversity.

Also speaking at the Opening Ceremony, Director-General Wang Daquan of the Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange, Ministry of Education, pointed out that the wave of artificial intelligence is reshaping the world, presenting new challenges to civilisational exchange and global cooperation. He commended the “contemporary significance and practical value” of the International Culture Festival in exploring the significant connection between AI and civilisational exchange. 

Serbian Ambassador to China, H.E. Maja Stefanovic, also underlined the transformative role of AI in education in her speech, detailing the long-standing partnership between China and Serbia, and expressing her support for further cooperation between relevant institutions in Serbia and PKU. 



Wrapping up the speeches, Chinese and international student representatives addressed the audience with their personal anecdotes in international exchange.  Zhu Junyu from the School of Foreign Languages spoke of how his diverse experiences in Italy, Belarus, and Vietnam shaped his understanding of “AI connecting five continents.” Marie Derien from France, a Master’s student in the School of Journalism and Communication, shared her experience in connecting the French and Chinese societies, including a tour of Chinese campuses for French students. 





After the speeches, a series of exciting performances brought the mood to a high note. In a surreal ventriloquism performance, Fang Haoran, who has performed for the blockbuster Avatar, mimicked chirping birds with nothing but his mouth, handily conjuring a mental picture of a calm and serene forest. Beside an audible treat, there were also plenty of visual feasts, including a meters-long painting donated by the rural artists from Sanjiang County, Guangxi Province. Jiang Guohua, Vice Chair of the PKU Council, accepted the painting on behalf of the university.

As the festival was formally opened by PKU President Gong Qihuang, the PKU Hall Plaza buzzed with excitement and merriment. There was no hiding of enthusiasm for cultural diversity, as walking was often difficult among the impressive throng of PKU students on the plaza. Each booth displayed a unique national culture, rendering a travel-the-world experience right here within the confines of the PKU campus.

Myanmar’s booth went hi-tech this year, integrating AI into a traditional theme of handicraft and natural heritage. “Our core concept revolves around a personalized AI-driven recommendation tool where visitors input their preferences (e.g., desired weather conditions, etc.), and the tool generates a tailored city suggestion for them to explore,” explained Maythu, a Burmese undergraduate student from Guanghua School of Management. Another feature was the thanaka paste that the Burmese students were applying to the visitors. According to Maythu, the paste is one of the icons of Myanmar and is an effective natural solution to keep people cool and protected in a tropical environment.





Bringing a taste of home to Yanyuan, the Singapore booth centred on fun and nostalgia. “We wanted to showcase the heart of Singapore, how people from different cultures and backgrounds come together to create something uniquely ours,” shared Chris, a Singaporean undergraduate from the School of International Relations, who is also the President of the Singapore Students’ Association (Beijing). Visitors were invited to try their hand at Five Stones, a traditional childhood game that tests speed and precision, or take on the Singapore Trivia Quiz to discover fun facts about the Lion City. Those with multiple correct answers could even receive a specially designed postcard that captures different facets of Singaporean life.

Beside the booths, the festival also featured parallel programs held in the vicinity of the PKU Hall. They included student performances, an international food festival, an international handicraft workshop, an international chess competition, and a photography exhibition. 

The element of ethnic culture was brilliant throughout the student performances, as PKU students from more than 30 countries exuberantly presented their local artistry through singing, dancing, wushu, folk instruments, etc.

Shokirjonova Mohinur Botir Kizi, an exchange student at the School of Chinese as a Second Language, performed a solo traditional Uzbek dance. Dancing alone on stage, she shared a part of her culture and caught the attention of the audience. Her graceful movements showed the pride and beauty of Uzbek traditions and added to the festive and lively atmosphere of the Culture Festival. The performance was a memorable moment that highlighted the spirit of cultural exchange at PKU.

At the food festival, lines of students could be seen snaking in front of each booth, anxious to sample authentically prepared exotic delicacies. This year’s food festival presented dishes from ten countries with wildly different cuisines, from Korea’s turkey noodles to America’s hot dogs and Switzerland’s cheese cubes. Demand remained robust throughout the day, as food supplies had to be replenished in quick succession.  

Konstantin, a Russian PKU exchange student studying Chinese as a second language, shared that the Russian team welcomed guests from around the world, showcasing traditional Russian culture. They prepared Bliny (Блины) and Olivye salad (Салат Оливье), iconic dishes representing festive traditions and the warmth of home. The selected foods aimed to bridge the seasons, connecting New Year celebrations with the arrival of spring.

The Singapore booth this year settled on a local breakfast classic, kaya toast and coffee. “Kaya toast, which is made with coconut jam and slices of butter, is usually paired with coffee sweetened with condensed milk,” explained Chloe Tan, a Singaporean undergraduate at Peking University’s School of International Studies. “It definitely reflects Singapore’s history as a melting pot of cultures, as this dish originated from British-influenced Hainanese coffee shops. For many Singaporeans, it’s a quintessential part of our mornings, and for those of us living overseas, a comforting taste of home.”

Anastasiya Trybush from Belarus shared a merry sentiment in an interview with PKU News. She called the 2025 edition "truly gorgeous."

"The PKU Culture Festival left such a great impression, and besides that, so many warm memories, cute photos, souvenirs, and new knowledge about different cultures and countries," said Trybush. "For me, it was an event full of joy and happiness, created by the most amazing people."

The annual festival continues to be a cornerstone of international student life at Peking University, successfully fostering cross-cultural dialogue and building a sense of community among students from diverse backgrounds.

On the sidelines of the festival, PKU also hosted an exhibition and a forum, both intangible-cultural-heritage-themed. The exhibition celebrated paintings and paper-cuts done by rural local artists from Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Zhejaing, Shanxi, etc. These artists have poured their heart and soul into art, seeking to depict an image of authentic rural life and scenery. Despite a lack of formal training, their artworks are nevertheless exquisite, capturing the quintessential bucolic charm through a lifetime of observation and practice.

During the forum, speakers from different backgrounds proffered myriad ways of preserving and promoting intangible cultural heritage, from social media integration to commercial adaptation. Their talks proved a collective point that intangible cultural heritage is not only a time capsule from the past, but can also light the way for modern life and even technology. 

Written by: Lee Jie Xin, Jawad Shabbir, Akaash Babar, May Thu Htet, Chloe Tan, Chris Tang Xiao Tong
Edited by: Chen Shizhuo
Photo by: Li Xianghua, Yan Linlin, Chris Tang Xiao Tong, May Thu Htet