China News Service, Jining, September 29th (Zhou Yiwei, Qi Jianyue) From September 25th to 28th, the 2026 Confucius Culture Week for Chinese and Foreign Young Students (referred to as "Confucius Culture Week") sponsored by the Chinese and Foreign Cultural Exchange Center of the Ministry of Education, the Shandong Provincial Department of Education, and the Jining Municipal People's Government was held in Jining, Shandong. During the four-day event, more than 170 young teachers and students from 49 countries and regions traveled from the Nishan Holy Land to the Robot Industrial Park, from the pickle ball court to the Confucius Temple, completing a youthful practice of mutual learning among civilizations during walking and dialogue.
On September 28, the public memorial ceremony for Confucius in the Bingwu Year was held in Qufu, Shandong Province. More than a hundred young teachers and students from 49 countries and regions went to the scene to pay homage to the most holy teacher Confucius. The picture shows international students in China taking a group photo at the scene. Photo by Zhou Yiwei
Not only ancient, but also modern
This year’s Confucius Culture Week breaks the traditional symposium and exchange model and builds a communication bridge with real-life experiences. The itinerary has both humanistic depth and scientific and technological warmth. During the event, young Chinese and foreign teachers and students played pickleball at Shandong Polytechnic Vocational College to socialize and compete. At the same time, they immersed themselves in dough sculpting, paper-cutting, sugar painting and other intangible cultural heritage skills, and got up close to the excellent traditional Chinese culture.
During the study trip, Chinese and foreign young teachers and students walked into the holy land of Nishan and traced the roots of Confucian culture; they visited Jining Robot Industrial Park and observed the development achievements of the intelligent manufacturing industry on the spot. During the scene switching, overseas young people can escape from stereotypes and understand the multidimensional and three-dimensional contemporary China.
Malaysian international student Fu Yanwei said frankly that her trip to Jining allowed her to appreciate the unique temperament of Chinese cities. "I was immersed in the millennium Confucian culture in the morning, and encountered cutting-edge technology in the afternoon. The perfect blend of traditional culture and modern technology here gave me a great shock. China has different styles and rich cultural heritage. This is one of the important reasons why I love China."
From the thousand-year context of the ancient Confucius Temple to the industrial innovation of smart manufacturing; from the ingenious inheritance of intangible cultural heritage skills to the fresh vitality of campus youth, the real China has always had both historical heritage and the vitality of the times. The foundation of mutual learning among civilizations lies in the true understanding of what we see and feel with our own eyes.
Not only slogans, but also details
The "World Youth Talk" event was held in Jining on the afternoon of the 27th. Young teachers and students at home and abroad jumped out of the grand narrative and used the small things around them as an entry point to share the warm moments of transnational exchanges and the unique charm of multiculturalism.
International students in China share their insights at the "World Youth Talk" event. Photo by Zhou Yiwei
In an interview with reporters, Mohammed, an international student from Sudan, said that pickleball is difficult to get started with, and he often makes mistakes when hitting the ball and the ball flies out of bounds. On the court, Chinese students took the initiative to help pick up the ball and gave encouragement. The subtle kindness made him feel warmer. "Youth are a bridge for cultural exchanges, and the meaning of a bridge is interconnection. We international students must take the initiative to convey real Chinese information so that this bridge can truly play its role."
Zhang Xuchen, a Chinese student from Shandong Polytechnic Vocational College, also gained valuable transnational friendships during the exchange. During the event, she hit it off with Russian student Fen Lani and Tunisian student He Yingyue, and exchanged gifts on the sports field. "I specially prepared Yunnan flower cakes and apples for them. Sending flower cakes means that they are as sweet and lovely as flowers, and sending apples means wishing them a safe return."
When visiting the Nishan Holy Land, He Yingyue showed a strong interest in ancient Chinese architecture and shared Tunisia's architectural features and regional culture with Zhang Xuchen. “I believe that this two-way cultural exploration is a vivid embodiment of ‘harmony without difference’,” Zhang Xuchen said.
During the event, the exchanges between Chinese and foreign young teachers and students did not stop at grand words such as "lasting friendship" and "mutual learning among civilizations", but reduced the exchanges to perceptible and knowable daily life. A game, a gift, an empathy, and a discussion allowed mutual learning among civilizations to shed its abstract concept and turn it into a true recognition among young people from all over the world.
Not only on site, but also in the world
On the afternoon of the 28th, this year’s Confucius Culture Week concluded at Shandong Polytechnic Vocational College. Although the four-day offline gathering has ended, the cultural exchanges and friendship between Chinese and foreign young teachers and students have not stopped.
Yelena, an international student from Serbia, said that there were many beautiful moments in this event, which allowed her to further understand Confucian culture and contemporary China. "After returning, I will share photos and short videos of this event through social media to tell the true story of China to my family and overseas netizens."
"The charm of Confucianism deserves to be seen by the world. Compared with oral preaching, personal experience and true sharing are more convincing." Yelena said that overseas young people in China are best suited to convey goodwill through personal experience and tell stories of "beauty and beauty shared".
The four-day Confucius Culture Week is not long, but the arrangement is compact and the content is specific. Chinese and foreign young teachers and students can enhance understanding through common experience and build friendship through specific dialogues. When young people from all over the world return to school and their hometowns with this experience and reflection, they take away not only an experience, but also the seeds of transnational friendship that will take root and sprout in the future. (over)
