On November 16, 2019, the 3rd Shantou Tea Culture Day was held at the North Campus of Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology with the participation of faculty and students. Cultural exchange and integration are promoted by attractive Hanfu show, elegant tea performances, fascinating GuQin ensemble, and light-hearted chorus...

The activity was co-organized by Shantou Association of Intellectuals and GTIIT, supported by De Xin College of Shantou University and Yi Tai Tea House. Prof. Lin Danming, Pro-Vice Chancellor of GTIIT, Prof. Liu Wenhua, Vice President of Shantou University, Prof. Sima Yaron, Head of Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering of GTIIT, and Mr. Li Zhao, Vice Director of the Management Committee of Shantou Overseas Chinese Economic and Cultural Cooperation Experimental Zone attended the opening ceremony.

Programs of tea party include a variety of performances. It not only explains tea knowledge in details, but also combines the performance of Chinese traditional culture and the introduction of Israeli culture. At the beginning, Hanfu performance "Flourishing Age", Chinese zither ensemble "My Home", and "Jade Link", the Chinese zither solo brought an audio-visual feast to the audience, which immerse people in it. While listening to the music with drinking the tea, the audience was deeply integrated into the artistic atmosphere of Chinese traditional culture.

Tea culture has always been part of Chinese traditional culture, attracting people from different countries and cultures, which includes faculty and students from the GTIIT. “Very interesting! This is my first time to participate in such a performance.” Ms. Susan Claire Holzman has attended two trainings for the tea-making. “We have learned various procedures such as boiling water, smelling tea leafs, and tasting tea. I really enjoy experiencing the beautiful Chinese culture in this way.”

Ben Shpiro participated in the Han-fu show. The Chinese classical costume performance took the audience through Han, Jin, Tang, Song and Ming Dynasties to experience the profound essence of Chinese culture.

In addition to the display of Chinese traditional culture, Chaim Cohn from GTIIT introduced the Israeli culture to the audience. He started his speech in Chinese and said hello to them. He then introduced traditional festivals such as the Arbor Day in Israel and shared his romantic story with his wife during traditional Israeli festivals. Culture has no borders, and multicultural exchanges allow everyone to understand each other and experience the human landscapes of different countries.

Text/Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs