Recently, Lanzhou University and Cheong Kun Lun College (CKLC) of University of Macau jointly organized the Experiential Learning Program “Silk Road and Ancient Chinese Culture Study Tour 2024”. Students and teachers from both universities followed the route of ancient Silk Road and retraced those important points of Silk Road in Hexi Corridor, Gansu Province. This study tour included a series of enriching lectures and numerous field visits, allowing students, expecially students from Macao, to experience the profound allure of the Silk Road and Chinese culture, inspire their affection to home country, broaden their international horizons, and enhance their cultural literacy.

Visit to the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang

The first stop of this program was in Lanzhou, an important city on the Silk Road that witnessed the prosperity of ancient East-West cultural exchanges. The tour began with an opening ceremony at Lanzhou University, followed by experiencing Lanzhou’s famous noodle culture, learning about Northwest customs, visiting the Gansu Provincial Museum to gain an in-depth understanding of the history and culture of the Northwest region. In Wuwei, participants visit the Confucian Temple and explored the Leitai Han Tomb, experiencing the charm of the Han Dynasty. In Zhangye, they marveled at the colorful Danxia landforms, leaving teachers and students in awe of nature’s craftsmanship. In Dunhuang, they admired the vastness of the desert at Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring, and deeply experienced the artistic allure of the thousand-year-old Mogao Caves, feeling the ancient-modern dialogue across millennia. Team member LAM Weng Lam remarked, “This journey along the Silk Road is not just a cultural trip, but a spiritual baptism. This journey immersed us in the five-thousand-year-long history of China, deeply feeling the enduring cultural heritage and spiritual strength of the Chinese nation.”

Through this program, students and teachers from Macao had gained a deeper understanding of the profound and extensive culture of Silk Road and the long history of Yellow River and Chinese culture. Students and teachers from both universities had established stronger connections. Both parties expressed their intention to continue deepening cooperation in the future, providing more high-quality cultural exchange opportunities for the youth from Macau, and promoting mutual understanding and friendship among the younger generation in both regions.

Campus Tour of Lanzhou University

Experiencing the Culture of Lanzhou Hand-pulled Noodles

Visit to the Confucian Temple in Wuwei

Experiencing the Spectacular and Colorful Danxia Landforms

Experience the Spectacular and Colorful Danxia Landforms 

Group Photo in front of the desert at Mingsha Mountain, Dunhuang

Experiencing the desert at Mingsha Mountain, Dunhuang