On the afternoon of April 19, the second session of Great Harmony of Rites and Music: Chinese Dance Culture Experience Tour, hosted by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission and organized by Beijing Dance Academy (BDA), was successfully held at Studio 108 of the Peking University Hall. More than 60 international students from 15 universities in Beijing, representing 29 countries, immersed themselves in the world of traditional Chinese music and dance culture, sharing a unique experience that beautifully blended rich cultural heritage with international diversity.
Liu Liang, Level IV Division Rank Official from the International Department of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Ma Bo, Deputy Director of the Office of International Relations at Peking University, and Qin Yanxi, Director of the International Office at BDA, attended the event. At the opening, a cultural video centered on Beijing’s Central Axis guided the international students through the city’s rich history, allowing them to deeply appreciate the essence of Chinese civilization embodied in the harmony of rites and music. Director Qin Yanxi delivered the opening remarks, warmly welcoming international students from around the world to join the program and expressing sincere gratitude to Peking University for its strong support. Lin Lin, project producer from the International Office at BDA, organized a series of engaging icebreaker activities to break down cultural barriers and further ignite the international students’ enthusiasm for exploring Chinese culture.
Project Director Kang Ruihan from Thailand introduced the Chinese Dance Culture Experience Tour. Starting with the “Central Axis,” she introduced the 2025 national conditions education program for international students at Beijing universities and the landscape dance, Great Harmony of Rites and Music: Ritual Dance Along the Central Axis. The performance will take place at the Imperial Ancestral Temple (Taimiao), the ancestral worship site of the Ming and Qing dynasties. This project invites international students to use dance as a bridge to connect with the traditional Chinese philosophy of “harmony between man and nature,” enabling a contemporary interpretation of traditional music and dance. Director Kang Ruihan and Deputy Director Lai Shixian (Taiwan, China) organized international students to appreciate, learn, and experience the refined grace of the sleeve dance and the powerful energy of the Pangu dance under professional instruction. Dancers of diverse backgrounds intertwined their movements with traditional forms, weaving a vibrant cultural tapestry that transcended time and space, serving as a living testament to the mutual learning and exchange between Chinese and global civilizations.
During the audition session, over 30 international students enthusiastically signed up and engaged in in-depth exchanges with the project team. Guided by the lead dancers, they followed the music to experience the movements of the Pangu dance and sleeve dance. Through the immersive artistic experience, the event transformed the expressive beauty of traditional Chinese music and dance into vivid cultural memory. As movement and rhythm intertwined, the international students gained a deeper appreciation of the essence of Eastern art, sparking a cross-cultural aesthetic resonance through meaningful interaction.
The successful conclusion of this event not only provided international students with a hands-on platform to immerse themselves in traditional Chinese music and dance but also fostered deeper mutual understanding and appreciation among diverse civilizations. As the language of traditional dance blends with contemporary artistic expression, this millennia-old cultural heritage is revitalized and shines anew on the global stage. With the series of activities continuing, BDA will continue to steadfastly advance the international promotion of Chinese dance culture. Its faculty and students will use their bodies as brush and ink to compose a new chapter in the dialogue of civilizations, allowing the dance art that embodies Eastern wisdom to shine and flourish on a broader global stage.
(Source: International Office, Text: Liu Yuanqing; Photos: Zhang Yongjie, William Chen (Australia), Xu Kaili (Malaysia); Video: Luo Zheng)
