New birth and challenges: How young students inject vitality into Sino-German cultural exchange

By Cunyu Liu & Huan Lin

What comes to mind when you think of cultural exchange? Perhaps dazzling international expos, high-profile art exhibitions, or grand cultural festivals. These large-scale events undoubtedly showcase the richness and diversity of Chinese culture. However, the true charm of cultural exchange often lies in smaller, more personal stories.

This is where student-led cultural events shine. Unlike official initiatives, these grassroots efforts are closer and flexible to individuals. They offer simple yet meaningful experiences, whether it’s through paper cutting or a piece of dim sum. On December 1, 2024, in Munich, one such event quietly unfolded. The China Tag, organized by the Munich Chinese Students & Scholars Association (CSSA), became a platform for Sino-German cultural interaction. Through activities that bridged two cultures, the event sparked vibrant exchanges and offered participants an authentic touch of Chinese traditions.

The event took place at KKV Hansa Haus in Munich, a modest two-story student activity center that came alive with nearly 300 attendees, far exceeding the expectations of the organizers. Ziyan Liu, head of the Entertainment Department at CSSA, and her team noted that while the China Tag had been held for three years, participation in the past two years was hindered by the pandemic, and this year, it hit a record-high scale. Attendees included students from China and Germany, cultural enthusiasts, and local Chinese families with their relatives and friends.

Highlights from the event included Chinese knot weaving, folk music performances, and traditional candied hawthorn. Photograph: CSSA WeChat Account.

The organizers planned various activities to engage attendees: The main exhibition hall on the second floor, covering approximately 60 square meters, hosted Han-style clothing shows, Chinese folk music performances, and pop song medleys. Visitors enjoyed hands-on experiences in the DIY area on the left side, including lacquer fan painting, Chinese knot weaving, and hairpin making. To the right was a food section with candied hawthorn, dumplings, and pastries. Downstairs, a 20-square-meter room offered quieter activities like Go teaching, Peking Opera mask painting, tea ceremonies, calligraphy show, and traditional sports games like pitch-pot and shuttlecock kicking in the hallway.

Homesickness, Misconceptions, and Understanding

For many students living abroad, the longing to reconnect with their home culture is a driving force behind organizing such events. Romana Guo, one of the Han-style clothing show performers and a freshman-year student in Munich, found a sense of belonging here. “Sometimes, being alone in a foreign country feels isolating, but seeing so many fellow Chinese in traditional attire and making familiar foods feels just like being back home,” she said.

Unlike Romana, Jie Song, another clothing show performer, had a different objective. Whenever she walks down the street wearing Han-style dress in Munich, people often mistake her for being Japanese or Korean. Jie hoped to use the event to correct misconceptions about Chinese culture and promote a deeper understanding of it among Germans—a goal that was shared by the other performers as well. Thus, a group of Han-style clothing enthusiasts gathered to host the first Han-style clothing show in Munich.

Group Photo of Han-Style Clothing Show Performers. Photograph: CSSA WeChat Account.  

No doubt, their show was a success. Many German attendees applauded the performances, and some inquired about the details of their costumes. For Germans, the Tag also offered an opportunity for closer engagement with Chinese culture. Had Gideon encountered an event promoting Go as a child, he would have been thrilled. As the only German volunteer in the Go experience section and a member of TUM’s Go club, he stood out by teaching others how to play the game.

Gideon first encountered Go at a young age and was deeply captivated by its endless possibilities. This is thanks to the Japanese, who introduced Go to Europe, though few people know that the game originated in China. Before attending university, Gideon found it difficult to find others in Germany who had even heard of Go, let alone someone to teach him, “There’s not the atmosphere or enough people interested in the game,” he remarked.

Gideon is teaching an audience Go game. Photograph: CSSA WeChat Account.  

Challenges and New Birth

Indeed, this student-initiated and student-organized cultural exchange event faced many challenges. One issue was securing the venue. As the event was entirely student-led, booking a location progressed slowly, with the final venue confirmed only one month before the event. The rented student activity center was relatively small, and attendee Wei Geng noted that the organization was somewhat chaotic, particularly when queuing for various experiences, leading to confusion. Ren, a volunteer in the Go experience section, observed that most attendees were likely Chinese, possibly influenced by the CSSA’s promotional strategy.

Event information was primarily available within Chinese online communities, with only a single German poster shared on Instagram. So, this grassroots event did not attract as many German attendees compared to larger, officially organized events with access to broader media resources.

Screenshot of the event information posted on CSSA’s Instagram Account.

Additionally, this student-led event faced a common challenge in any cultural exchange—language and translation. Although the game of Go was introduced to Germany almost a century ago, Ren still faced language barriers while teaching.He followed  traditional methods of translating terms and moves, using either Japanese pronunciations or direct translations from Chinese characters. However, explaining these abstract terms to beginners proved challenging. While understanding the moves is easier in the context of Chinese or Japanese, literal translations often hinder beginners’ comprehension and interest in Go. Nonetheless, Ren displayed creativity and teaching methods by letting learners discover key concepts themselves through trial and error. After playing Go with Ren, a child was intrigued by the game, and the father subsequently reached out to Ren for more lessons.

Despite the challenges, the exchange and promotion of Chinese culture in Germany has seen a resurgence. Junyue Ma, president of the Women’s Calligraphy and Painting Association in Zhengzhou, Henan Province of China, came to Germany not as part of an official promotional effort, but simply to visit her family. Her son signed her up to showcase her calligraphy and paintings. Although she didn’t speak any foreign language, a group of enthusiastic Chinese students helped her introduce to foreign audiences how, in her spare time at home, she had painted 77 birds of various shapes. To express her gratitude, she gifted her works to every attendee.“I never imagined that one day my work would leave China and be collected by foreigners.”Ma said.

Junyue Ma is creating her calligraphy and paintings. Photograph: Cunyu Liu & CSSA WeChat Account©

Another attendee, Toni, who had only learned Chinese for nine months, came to the event upon the recommendation of his Chinese teacher and carefully crafted five crooked Chinese knots.

In this space, like-minded students, souls with a passion for Chinese culture, warm-hearted individuals keen on building cultural bridges, and those seeking solace in a foreign land gathered. With the growth of youth energy, such student-led cultural exchanges continue to flourish worldwide, forming cultural threads linking curiosity, enthusiasm, and understanding between different cultures abroad.

Today, Toni’s Chinese knot quietly hangs on his family’s Christmas tree, witnessing the quiet rooting of Chinese culture in Germany as the new year arrives.

Toni used Chinese knots to decorate his Christmas tree. Photograph: Toni.