On December 12, the “Youth and Sea, Asian Games in Xiangshan” image exhibition, jointly organized by Zhejiang Wanli University, the Xiangshan County Government Information Office, the Xiangshan County Asian Games Office, and the Zhejiang Branch of the China News Service, was launched at Hamburg campus of Zhejiang Wanli University in Germany. The over 70 photographs featuring the exhibition attracted the Chinese students studying in Germany and the attention of the local German public.

Xiangshan, located on the coast of the East China Sea, played host to the sailing and beach volleyball competitions of the Hangzhou Asian Games. During the competitions, photographers from around the world came to Xiangshan, capturing through their cameras the beauty of sports and humanity both inside and outside the competition arenas as well as the natural beauty of myriad mountains and seas. Out of their photographic creations, more than 70 exceptional pieces were selected into the exhibition, which, as a bridge for Sino-German cultural exchange and mutual understanding, presents Xiangshan to the global audience, telling the world the Chinese story vividly through images.

The exhibition was put up by students from the Sino-German Department of Branding in Germany. During the exhibition, these students passionately introduced in fluent foreign languages the background and theme of the exhibition, the culture and stories of the Asian Games, and the beautiful coastal city of Xiangshan in Ningbo. Visitors could deeply feel these young people’s striving and perseverance, coupled with the splendor of the Xiangshan coastline and seascape as shown in the images.

Visitors from both China and abroad gathered at the exhibition, engaging in lively discussions about the Asian Games and Xiangshan. Hans, professor of the Germany Brand University of Applied Sciences, said, “In the captured moments of activity from different perspectives, I can feel the magnificent and colorful ocean, as well as the heroic and vigorous figure of the athletes on the sea. Their brave and tenacious figures have left a deep impression on me. I have not been to China or Xiangshan, but when I see these beautiful seas and the powerful sports, it makes me look forward to one day experiencing the charm of youth and the sea in Xiangshan, China.”

As the first overseas campus of a university in Zhejiang Province, the Hamburg campus of ZWU is a window for education to go abroad, shouldering the responsibility of telling the story of China and spreading Chinese culture. The campus has successively hosted various international cultural events, including the “Filial Piety Culture Photography Exhibition”, “Sino-German Youth Brand Design and Cultural Exchange Exhibition”, and the “Fuchun Mountain Dwelling Image Exhibition”. The “Youth and Sea, Asian Games in Xiangshan” image exhibition of this time is another proactive initiative by our university to build a bridge for Sino-German cultural exchange and friendship. 

The director of the Overseas Campus Management Office of ZWU said, “This year, the beautiful coastal city of Xiangshan witnessed many exciting moments on the sports field of the Asian Games. Now, these exciting moments have been brought to our Hamburg campus in the form of images, not only showcasing the coastal scenery of Xiangshan and the charm of Ningbo but also building a friendship bridge for cultural exchanges between China and Germany, bringing the two countries’ people closer.”