The launch ceremony for the GlobalFace Wenzhou Maritime Silk Road International Art Workshop, organized by the Wenzhou Maritime Silk Road International Communication Base, was held on May 18 at the Maritime Silk Road Cooperation Park within the International Pavilion of the Garden Expo Park. Ten foreign nationals and ten overseas Chinese youth became its inaugural members. Following its establishment, the art workshop will use music and art as mediums to deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and other countries, thereby contributing to the city’s international development.

Since last year, the “GlobalFace International Band” from the Wenzhou Maritime Silk Road International Communication Base has actively participated in the “International Music Corner” series of events. International youth such as Hugo from Spain, Percy from Ghana, and Anna from Russia have made full use of their musical and artistic talents to stage public benefit performances every weekend at Wuma Historical and Cultural Street in downtown Wenzhou. This has turned the International Music Corner into a popular check-in spot for both citizens and tourists, fostering emotional resonance and cultural mutual learning between Chinese and foreign participants, and achieving positive social impact and international communication results. 

Building on the foundation of the “GlobalFace International Band,” the newly established Wenzhou Maritime Silk Road International Art Workshop has also attracted a number of overseas Chinese youth. Among them are returnees, members of the new generation of overseas Chinese, and family members of overseas Chinese. Their pursuits range from professional performances on the guqin and guzheng to dance, other art forms, and even membership in city choirs. At the launch ceremony, international youth including Percy and Safari performed impromptu English and Chinese-English songs, while overseas Chinese participants presented instrumental performances, tea ceremony, and calligraphy. At the Maritime Silk Road Cooperation Park in the Garden Expo Park that day, hundreds of onlookers stopped to watch and record with their phones, making them true “center of attention.” Wang Pinpin, a family member of an overseas Chinese, shared that the guzheng is her greatest hobby outside of work. She is currently using her guzheng performances to build her own social media presence. Becoming a member of the Wenzhou Maritime Silk Road International Art Workshop, where she can participate in cross-cultural exchange activities alongside international youth who share her passion, is an experience she greatly looks forward to. During the launch ceremony, Wang Pinpin performed “Blue and White Porcelain” live, earning enthusiastic applause. Hugo, a handpan player from Spain, remarked that watching the International Music Corner grow from a single person to a group, and from a group to an art workshop, fills him with a deep sense of happiness. Every weekend at Wuma Historical and Cultural Street, he and his team of Chinese and foreign members will dedicate their best music to all the audiences.

Fang Danping, initiator of the GlobalFace Wenzhou Maritime Silk Road International Art Workshop and a Wenzhou International Communication Officer, noted that she also currently serves as President of the European World Cheongsam Federation. She has long been traveling between Wenzhou and Europe, actively promoting outstanding traditional Chinese culture overseas. Going forward, she plans to use the art workshop as a platform to attract more overseas Chinese and international friends to join, using art to enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges and foster greater emotional resonance. She also hopes to leverage art to promote the overseas reach of the “New Three Cultural Products.”

After the launch ceremony, Chinese and foreign guests visited the spice exhibition area at the Maritime Silk Road Cooperation Park to embark on a hands-on DIY incense-making experience. The hall displayed traditional spices and incense utensils, including agarwood, sandalwood, and mugwort. The subtle, elegant fragrance that permeated the space allowed everyone to immerse themselves in the charm of traditional Chinese incense culture.

During the event, Machi, a British anchor from the Wenzhou Maritime Silk Road International Communication Base, personally tried traditional techniques such as blending and pressing incense under the guidance of an intangible cultural heritage incense-making teacher. She said, “This is my first time experiencing traditional Chinese incense culture, and I find it especially interesting and therapeutic. The scent instantly calms you down.” Many other international friends also joined in the interactive activities, learning about the spice culture along the Maritime Silk Road and the stories of Sino-foreign exchanges through hands-on experience. 

Article Writers: Cheri Chen, Stacy Zhu, Zoey Zhou

Translator: Cheri Chen