Nigerian students perform guci, or drum ballads. [Photo/wzqmt.com]
Two Nigerian students currently studying at Wenzhou University recently embarked on a cultural exploration trip to Mingshan village in Pingyang county, Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province.
In the shade of banian trees by the Tanghe River, the two students carried out an in-depth cultural exchange with Ye Laiwang, a practitioner of guci, or drum ballads, an intangible cultural heritage item unique to Wenzhou.
Accompanied by the melodious sound of traditional Chinese stringed instruments, the drum ballad in Wenzhou dialect was rendered in perfect coordination with the rhythmic sound of African drums, receiving applause from passersby.
At the local egg painting base, the two students learned about egg painting and tried their hands at sketching patterns related to their hometowns on the eggshells with cotton swabs.
"I learned a lot about Wenzhou's traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage items. I will tell people I know about Wenzhou's rich culture when I return home," said one student.
The students also showed interest in the villagers' ingenious integration of culture and tourism to realize common prosperity.
"We want to learn about their experience and do our bit to contribute to the economic development of our hometowns," the students said.
As a once impoverished village, Mingshan has become wealthier through culture-tourism integration. Statistics show that the village attracted more than 1 million tourists in 2021, generating over 53 million yuan ($7.91 million) in annual revenue, with each family increasing their income by an average of about 30,000 yuan.
Nigerian students learn how to paint eggs. [Photo/wzqmt.com]
