International Students Exploring Tujia Ethnic Culture in Shizhu County to Tell the World About Chongqing

From July 5 to 6, the “Tell the World About Chongqing” 2025 International Students’ Shizhu Tujia Culture Experience Tour was successfully held. Nearly 60 international students from 10 countries including Thailand, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, and Sudan explored the Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County and experienced the unique charm of Chongqing’s cultural tourism.

Supported by the “Chinese Culture Practice” Second Classroom of Chongqing University, the event featured a complete chain of experiential learning: pre-class session, field study, and achievement presentation.

In the pre-class session, Qin Cuihua, Director of the Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, delivered an engaging cultural tourism presentation. International students enjoyed a unique and memorable cultural introduction by sampling Tujia cuisine and learning the intangible cultural heritage song Luo’er Tune.

During the two-day field study, students gained multifaceted insights into Shizhu. At Wanshou Mountain Scenic Area, they marveled at the legendary story of General Qin Liangyu—the only female general in Chinese history featured in the official historical biographies of generals and ministers. They also learned about the cultivation and industrial development of golden thread at the Shizhu Golden Thread Science Popularization Center, and experienced the vivid transformations of Shizhu driven by rural revitalization.

In Qiaotou Town, a key hub for Shizhu’s rural revitalization demonstration belt, the students rode a lakeside train in Tengzigou Scenic Area to enjoy idyllic landscapes. They also visited the “Farewell to Cambridge Again” Art Homestay to view plein air artworks and experience poetic rural living, gaining firsthand insights into the innovative integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism.

At the Huangshui National Tourism Resort, international students joined local residents in performing a large-scale baishou (hands waving) dance, and watched the artistic show “Heavenly Huangshui,” immersing themselves in rich local traditions.

“My biggest takeaway from this trip is a clearer understanding of rural development in China—this has been a very interesting hands-on learning experience,” wrote Di Long, an international student from Sudan.

Zhang Hanwen, a student from Nigeria, shared, “This trip to Shizhu not only broadened my horizons but also deepened my understanding and interest in Tujia Ethnic culture. I hope to learn more about this wonderful place in the future.”

As Yuan Ling, Academic Advisor from the School of Foreign Languages and Cultures of Chongqing University, noted, the activity enabled international students to step out of the classroom and into the villages and towns, immersing themselves in a vivid experience blending the essence of Tujia ethnic culture with the new chapter of rural revitalization.

The event introduced a special initiative called “International Youth Ambassadors of the Cultural Tourism of Shizhu,” where international students acted as both participants and narrators of Chongqing’s tourism story. Under this initiative, nearly 100 articles and short videos were produced and widely disseminated through overseas social media platforms.

“The beautiful mountains and forests of Shizhu remind me of my hometown in Russia. I love it here and will definitely come back! I want to show my friends back home a different China,” said Zhang Rongyao, a student from Russia, who posted photos and impressions from her journey on social media.

People-in-charge from the Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County Commission of Culture and Tourism Development expressed hopes that this model of “experience-driven content creation and social-media-led communication” would turn every international youth into a mobile “cultural router,” sending signals of Shizhu’s charm to more global audiences using their own languages.

The event was guided by the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, co-hosted by the Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County Commission of Culture and Tourism Development and the School of Foreign Languages and Cultures of Chongqing University, and co-organized by the Window for International Exchanges of Chongqing Culture & Tourism and Wuling C&T Integration. Looking ahead, the Window for International Exchanges of Chongqing Culture & Tourism will continue to integrate resources from the government, universities, enterprises, airlines, and travel agencies to further develop the “Tell the World About Chongqing” International Students’ Culture Experience Tour brand and organize cultural visits and study tours for international students in Chongqing. Through youth-friendly expressions and group-targeted communication, more international students will become spontaneous storytellers of Chongqing, helping to build Chongqing into a world-renowned tourist destination.

Chongqing Culture & Tourism

By Yang Yan/The World and Chongqing