To better promote Chinese culture and expose international students to the charm of diverse Chinese culture, on November 17th and 24th, over 400 international freshmen, organized by School of International Education, went to the ancient town of Tongguan Kiln in two batches to participate in the social practice activity of  "Learning in CSU and Traveling in Hunan".

Students were refreshed and attracted by the architecture in Tang-dynasty Style the moment they arrived at the town. Looking around, they were surrounded by ancient Chinese architecture with particular characteristics which combined power and beauty, grandness and solemnness. Curiosity brought students further into the ancient town.

Following the tour guide, everyone visited the Robot Museum integrating an indoor science and technology museum, a training hall and a theme park. Upon entering the Museum, students could hardly wait to interact with the robot excitedly and marveled at the rapid development of Chinese technology and at the same time they learned much about AI’s historic development, research and development technology, model specimens, intelligent interaction and science and technology education, looking forward to the world's cutting-edge robot technology.

Immediately after visiting the Museum, students came to the Hunan Hall of Fame and learned nearly 400 Hunan celebrities throughout history, of which some representative figures’ stories increased the interestingness and effectiveness of the education and allowed the students to experience the cultural accumulation of Hunan in the millennium.

Walking along the lake, students came to Hunan's first world-class 5D cinema appreciating the film Legend of Magic Glaze and took an adventure in a high-tech simulation scene which provided students with an opportunity to experience the combination of Chinese culture and high technology. After watching the film, Touseef from Pakistan still immersed himself in the historical background and high-tech design the film had brought for a long time, and said, “It's an awesome experience to feel the integration of historical story and high-tech which makes the whole process totally different.”

After lunch, the students watched the Black Rock stunt show with the tour guide. The stunt performance centered on the Black Ship Wreck was an absolute shock to one’s eyes and ears. The elaborate stunt performance and special effects of the explosion amazed the students and indulged them in the historical story behind the millennium shipwreck. Alhamzi from Yemen said with excitement, “This performance is my favorite one that shocked me since I was very close to the scene.”

The activity ended up with the five major museums, namely the Changsha Kiln Museum, the Coin Museum, the Mineral Specimens Museum, the Embroidery Pavilion, and the Wine Culture Museum. In the Changsha Kiln Museum, ELSAYED from Egypt identified his country on the map of the Changsha Kiln Offshore Ceramic Road. He was very proud to share it with everyone and actively discussed with his classmates about the Road which had once been left behind by the world. Following the tour guide, students had a deep understanding of Chinese ceramics, coins, embroidery, and wine culture, and felt the charm of natural minerals. Everyone thereinafter couldn't help rushing to take pictures for the memorial.

As it goes, A town reads the millennium, in this activity, not only did students gain a wealth of historical and cultural knowledge but also strengthened cultural exchanges and interactions between classmates and teachers. From ceramics to wine culture, and celebrities’ history to modern high technology, all these provided a valuable opportunity for students to feel the charm of Chinese civilization and the culture of Hunan. On the way back to school, students said that they had a new understanding of the development of China and the culture of Hunan.