On 06th Dec 2018, seven staff of UoM and three staff of LUX* Resort Hotel were chosen to participate in the first Winter Camp organized by CI-UoM and hosted by ZSTU. They were accommodated at the Shujiang Hotel in Hangzhou, within walking distance of the ZSTU campus.
The participants were greeted by the cold weather of Hangzhou but they were very happy to experience snow, especially at this time of the year! The programme for the winter camp started with a welcome lunch which was generously hosted by Mr Wu, Chairman of Council of ZSTU. He welcomed everyone and wished them an enjoyable stay on campus. Dr Leo Couacaud, Head of the Department of History and Political Science, offered a book to Mr Wu. The book is a beautiful collection of photographs about contemporary Mauritius.
The staff attended Chinese classes every morning, participated in calligraphy, tai chi and other classes. They visited museums, cultural places such as the Ancient picturesque Songxi village which is surrounded by mountains, famous for its architecture of Qing dynasty and the latter being revived through renovated works; the Grand Canal of Hangzhou which is often lauded as ‘the earliest and longest artificial waterway in the world starting from Beijing in the north and ending at Hangzhou in the south for a total length of 1776 km’; West Lake with its numerous temples, pagodas, gardens, and parks. The lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has influenced poets and painters throughout Chinese history for its natural beauty and historic relics. The place reflects "an idealized fusion between humans and nature"; Alibaba, the world's leading e-commerce group; silk markets and other popular shopping and cultural places.
The participants thoroughly enjoyed the programme set out for them. They have acquired an enriching cultural experience and a good insight of Chinese culture.
Plate 1. Group Photo of all Participants with CI Director at a Confucius Classroom in Ancient Songxi Village