On August 22, as part of the 2023 ASEAN Education Exchange Week, the "Miao Embroidery" activity of the "Zhi Xing Guizhou" Silk Road Youth Exchange Program was held at the Bangxiangyu Miao Embroidery Clothing Development Co., Ltd. in Shibing County, Guizhou Province. The event lasted for one week, with six international students from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Laos, Afghanistan, Niger, and Pakistan participating. Over the course of the week, the students learned about Miao culture, Miao embroidery techniques, Miao language, Miao songs, and experienced Miao cultural products such as the "Stepping Drum Dance" and "Miao Sour Soup Fish".
On the first day of the Miao Embroidery tour, under the guidance of their teachers, the six students visited the "Miao Embroidery" Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum at Bangxiangyu Miao Embroidery Clothing Development Co., Ltd. There, they learned about the story of the Miao ancestor Butterfly Mother, saw Miao traditional costumes and embroidered life necessities, deepening their understanding of Chinese ethnic minority cultures. Later, they visited the embroidery workshop to learn embroidery skills under the guidance of embroiderers. With needle and thread, the students produced vivid and interesting flowers, insects, and fish, earning praise from their teachers.
On the second day, an ethnic culture exchange activity was carried out. The students expressed their views on topics ranging from cultural heritage to product globalization. A student from Laos named Wang Kaiwen said, "There are Miao people and embroidery in Laos too, but the Miao language and embroidery in Laos are different from those in China. Chinese Miao embroidery is more abundant and complex, and I will study Chinese culture seriously and bring it back to my hometown." An international student from Pakistan named Mark said, "I hope we can develop products that combine foreign cultural elements and promote 'Miao Embroidery' to the world."
In the afternoon of the second day, under the guidance of their teachers, the students learned Miao songs and language. After several hours of learning, they sang the beautiful Miao songs vividly, with the singing echoing in the classroom and the blessings in the lyrics touching everyone's hearts. During the Miao language lesson, the students carefully followed the teacher's pronunciation and took diligent notes. On the final day of the activity, the students visited a local Miao village, saw the stilted buildings characteristic of Miao architecture, experienced the real life of the locals, and personally tried out traditional weaving machines under the guidance of their teacher.
Guizhou City Vocational College has always adhered to the development concept of "open schooling, win-win cooperation" and promoted the educational action of "One Belt, One Road". Since the approval of international student enrollment qualification in 2019, the school has successively recruited international students from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Afghanistan, Pakistan, Niger and other "Belt and Road" countries to major in Chinese language preparatory education. In the fall semester of this year, the school will welcome the first academic international student to major in computer network technology, realizing the zero breakthrough of academic students studying in China.
Guizhou City Vocational College has always adhered to the development concept of "open education and win-win cooperation", promoting the co-construction of the "Belt and Road" educational initiative. Since obtaining the qualification for international student recruitment in 2019, the college has successively enrolled students from Belt and Road co-construction countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Niger, studying in the Chinese preparatory education major. In this fall semester, the college will welcome its first degree-seeking international student studying in the Computer Network Technology major, achieving a breakthrough with zero-degree international students coming to China for study.
The art of "embroidery" depicts a new life. The flowers, birds, fish, and insects in "Miao embroidery" not only illustrate the Miao people's vision for a better life but also record the process of their migration and evolution over thousands of years. This time, the "Knowing and Acting Guizhou" Silk Road Youth Exchange Programme showcases the Miao "embroidery" culture to international students in a diverse way, enabling them to understand the Miao "embroidery" culture and spread Miao culture around the world.