From November 16th to 30th, a delegation of 22 students and faculty members from Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi in Thailand (RMUTT) successfully completed a 14-day short-term Chinese Language Training and Cultural Study Program at our university. This visit represents the first Thai delegation to HCU under the cooperation framework between the two institutions, following our university’s initial dispatch of 20 students to their university for an in-depth study program in July this year. It marks the official advancement of bilateral cooperation into a new stage characterized by two-way engagement and deeper integration.
Centered on the goal of "immersive exploration of Chinese characters, traditional culture, and regional heritage," this study program was well designed with three key modules: language learning, cultural practice, and regional cultural immersion. The program began with a warm welcome ceremony and a buddy system initiative, which helped swiftly break down cultural barriers and fostered meaningful connections between Chinese and Thai students. Following this, a guided campus tour offered the Thai teachers and students an engaging, firsthand experience of our university’s beautiful learning environment and distinctive educational strengths.
Welcome Ceremony
The curriculum was designed to integrate language learning with cultural immersion. Practical Chinese courses helped the Thai participants master basic communicative skills in Chinese, while hands-on cultural sessions such as paper-cutting, Chinese dance, traditional painting and calligraphy, and tea art allowed them to gain a deeper appreciation of the profound heritage and unique charm of Chinese traditional culture.
Practical Chinese Course
Chinese Dancing Course
Chinese Tea Art
To enhance the cultural learning experience, the program featured well designed field visits and industry tours. The study group first embarked on a cultural exploration trip to Liuzhou , where they visited historical landmarks including the Dongmen Ancient City Wall, Liuhou Park, and Nanche Wharf, witnessing the dynamic interplay between the city’s millennia old heritage and its modern urban landscape. Subsequently, they visited Guangxi Luobawang Food Co. Ltd.. Through observing production processes and engaging in discussions on innovation cases, the participants gained deep insights into how local distinctive industries revitalize traditional craftsmanship with technological innovation.
In Hechi City, the team immersed themselves in ethnic cultural sites such as the Liu Sanjie Hometown Scenic Area and Luocheng Cotton Tiankeng Scenic Area, carrying out fieldwork on local ethnic traditions. Through immersive experiences in minority sports like throwing the embroidered balls and board-shoe racing, as well as learning to play traditional Chinese instruments such as Guzheng, they explored the unique ethnic charm and regional cultural DNA of Guangxi from multiple perspectives—sports, music, and architecture. This "walking classroom" approachl enabled the Thai participants to deepen their cultural awareness, moving beyond observation to genuine understanding through immersive practice.
Visiting Liu Sanjie Hometown Scenic Area
Visiting Luocheng Cotton Tiankeng Scenic Area
Experiencing the Guzheng— a Traditional Chinese Musical Instrument
On November 28th, the program summary session and closing ceremony were held in Room 601, Gezhi Building. Qin Yongling, Vice President and Standing Committee Member of the University Party Committee, attended the ceremony and presented completion certificates and souvenirs to the Thai delegation. He remarked that this exchange program not only led to marked progress in language skills but also represented a meaningful transition from cultural observation to cultural understanding. He expressed hope that the friendship between the two universities would mature like a fine wine, gaining richness with time, and that the tree of cooperation, nourished by faculty-student exchanges, joint curriculum development, and collaborative research, would grow strong and bear abundant fruit, carrying forward the story of China Thailand educational exchange for generations to come.
Qin Yongling presents completion certificates to the Thai students
At the closing ceremony, Thai students delivered a splendid presentation, vividly demonstrating their bountiful gains from Chinese language learning and cultural experiences.
It is noted that HCU and Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi officially established the partnership in March 2024 and signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in October of the same year. As the first collaborative initiative under this MOU framework, our university sent 20 students to RMUTT for a 17-day in-depth study exchange in July 2025, marking the beginning of two-way engagement between the institutions. This return visit by RMUTT study delegation not only consolidated the achievements of prior cooperation but also served as a significant milestone in advancing the partnership towards comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and in-depth development. Through the deep integration of language learning, cultural practice, and research collaboration, it has provided a more concrete model and substantial support for our university’s internationalization strategy. (Author: Qin Lijuan; Photographer: Qin Qiuyun; Translator: Li Yuxia; Proofreader: Meng Chengming; Reviewer: Lin Na)
