The charm of traditional Chinese culture is unstoppable! Foreign athletes experience and fall in love with China in Chengdu | Athletes | Culture
On August 4th, China Daily reported that while the competition at the 31st Summer Universiade was in full swing, young athletes from all over the world can explore rich and colorful Chinese culture and Sichuan specialty cuisine, whether in the Universiade Village or the streets and alleys of Chengdu. Participants can also immerse themselves in traditional Chinese culture during their leisure time, such as calligraphy, traditional Chinese medicine therapy, and visiting the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center.
The interactive experience center in the Picture Universiade Village can be said to be the most popular place for foreign athletes. The rich cultural activities here aim to help student athletes and delegation officials better understand Chengdu and China, while experiencing more fun during the competition break.
Czech volleyball player Lucy Kalhausova and her teammates often visit the cultural market at the experience center. After learning to write her Chinese name with a brush, Kalhausova even developed a new hobby - Chinese calligraphy. She said, "We have never tried calligraphy before, so for everyone, experiencing it is both lucky and fun."
Lucas Krishna of the Brazilian Taekwondo team is also relaxing in a traditional Chinese way of entertainment - playing Chinese chess with a local volunteer. Krishna revealed that his father attended a three-month Chinese chess training course in Hangzhou a few years ago and taught him this traditional game when he was 10 years old. "My dad likes China, and the people here are very nice," he added.
Outside the Universiade Village, athletes have also discovered that Chengdu is a vibrant and worthwhile city to visit. For example, the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base is one of the must visit attractions, where tourists can get up close to China's "national treasures" and participate in various panda themed activities.
The athletes wore Sichuan opera masks with cute panda faces and came to the center, viewing this experience as an unforgettable memory for life. This also sparked their interest in trying more activities in Chengdu.
In order to promote traditional Chinese music, opera and other art forms, the Dayun Village Theater also performed meticulously arranged performances for the participants. "This is so beautiful, it's like traveling through 3000 years, witnessing the fusion of culture and emotion, instruments and vocals," said David Anthony Knoop, Deputy Head of the US delegation, after enjoying a musical performance