The youth-friendly exchange and study tour from Ishinomaki City, Japan, invited by the Wenzhou Foreign Affairs Office and hosted by our college, recently concluded at our campus. Zhou Junwu, Director of the Wenzhou Foreign Affairs Office; Okawa Hiroshi, Director of the Revitalization Planning Department of Ishinomaki City, Japan; and Yan Li, Member of the Party Committee and Vice President of our college, attended the welcoming ceremony.

This exchange program was centered on “promoting friendship within the friendly cities, deepening cooperation among culture and education” and constructed a bridge of exchange and communication between the teenagers of China and Japan through a series of activities such as Campus tour, experiencing intangible cultural heritage, city tour and so on, which consolidated the sister city relationship between Wenzhou and Ishinomaki and promoted the cooperation between these two cities among the areas of education and culture.

On our campus, the exchange group participated in a Wenzhou intangible cultural heritage 'Ousu' experience course: under the guidance of professional instructors, Chinese and Japanese youth together picked up tools to transform delicate colored clay into Ousu works that combine traditional charm with creative ideas, experiencing the craftsmanship and warmth of intangible cultural heritage through hands-on interaction. The exchange group also took part in special courses such as a lecture on Ou-Yue culture and Nanquan martial arts training, allowing them to engage with Wenzhou culture comprehensively, from cultural understanding to physical experience.

In addition to immersive experiences on campus, the exchange group also visited iconic cultural landmarks in Wenzhou such as the Wenzhou Dragon Boat Culture Museum, Wuma Historical and Cultural Street, and Jiangxin Islet. Through exploring historical sites, listening to history, and engaging in interactive exchanges, they gained a deeper understanding of Wenzhou's unique charm and historical heritage as a 'mountain and water poetic city.' Moreover, the exchange group participated in study tours at Wenzhou Xiangyu Middle School and Wenzhou China Eye Valley, making this cross-cultural journey a vivid practice of Sino-Japanese cultural exchange. 

During the communication, Okawa Hiroshi expressed sincere gratitude for our school's meticulous preparations and warm reception. He stated that through this study tour, the youth of Ishinomaki City personally experienced the unique charm of Wenzhou culture, and the young people from both sides enhanced mutual understanding and forged friendships through interactions, thereby continuing the precious friendship between Wenzhou and Ishinomaki.

Our college has always adhered to the concept of 'openness and inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win outcomes,' treating international exchange and cooperation as an important aspect of educational development. Especially in the field of design culture, we have long been committed to promoting cross-regional and cross-cultural learning integration and sharing of achievements. The recent youth-friendly exchange study tour in Ishinomaki, Japan, not only created a platform for design culture mutual learning between Wenzhou and Ishinomaki but also, through the involvement of young people, strengthened the foundation for grassroots friendly exchanges between the two sister cities. As the organizer, our college will continue to focus on design culture as the core driver, actively expand international education exchange channels, promote the sharing of cross-regional educational resources and deep cultural integration, and, while cultivating design talents with an international perspective and cross-cultural communication skills, contribute further to promoting friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries and supporting local international cooperation.