Tsinghua International School (THIS) hosted its annual "China Day" under the theme "China Stories" on December 6, 2026. The event engaged students through multi-perspective narratives and dynamic presentations, guiding them to experience the richness of Chinese culture at the intersection of tradition and contemporary life, while also reflecting on the role and duty of cultural preservation in today's rapidly evolving world.
Teachers and students at THIS all recognize that "China Stories" are never a single symbol or label—they are the heroic dreams in historical records, the homeland sentiments in poetry, the artisan spirit within crafts, as well as the explorations of scientists, the daring of entrepreneurs, and the perseverance of ordinary people.
Following the usual practice, this year's China Day was divided into two separate sessions for the elementary and secondary divisions, tailored to the cognitive characteristics and knowledge levels of students of different ages. The goal was to use more targeted content and formats to help students learn through enjoyment in rich cultural experiences and achieve deep engagement.
1 Expert Speech
"China Stories" are hidden in ancient texts, and in our daily lives—in the experiences of our families, friends, teachers, and ourselves. This year, THIS had the honor of inviting two renowned experts to share their own "China Stories."
Du Guozhi, a parent of THIS student, Chairman of the China South-to-North Water Diversion Group Water Network and Water Investment Company and a senior expert in the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, shared his insights with teachers and students.
He emphasized that throughout Chinese history, the management, utilization, and cultural affinity for water have formed a vital thread in the nation's heritage, representing a profound and enduring theme in China's stories. "Water," he noted, is linked not only to survival but also to wisdom, to transformation as well as to coexistence.
In his account, teachers and students not only saw the wisdom and courage of the Chinese people in transforming and utilizing nature, but also gained a deeper understanding of how our nation, in its interactions with rivers, lakes, and seas, has explored and practiced a path of development that harmoniously coexists with nature.
Associate Professor Liu Chang of the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University, Director of the Institute of Architectural History and Heritage Conservation, and Executive Deputy Director of the Tsinghua-Palace Museum Research Center, began with the academic story of Liang Sicheng, founder of Tsinghua's Architecture Department, and his wife Lin Huiyin. He vividly recounted the responsibility and spirit behind architectural heritage conservation and explained how rigorous scholarship and diligent research should be passed down through generations.
Professor Liu not only studies history but also measures ancient sites with his footsteps and safeguards civilization with his hands. As an architectural historian and ancient building conservator, he frequently works at archaeological sites and cultural heritage locations. His story is the most vivid combination of "artisan spirit" and "exploratory drive"—a China story found beneath the soil and within the structures.
2 'Station' Exchanges
This year's China Day carefully designed a "station" exchange segment, featuring six cultural experience stations:
Documentary Story,
Guess-The-Idiom,
Story Retold,
Story Treasure Hunt,
Gourmet Story, and
Eight Brocades Story.
Students freely explored and moved between stations, engaging through multiple senses and hands-on practice to deeply experience the vibrant expression and enduring charm of traditional Chinese culture in contemporary times.
1 Documentary Story
This station featured a showcase of student-produced videos, covering stories of Chinese historical figures, youthful reflections, craftsmen's deeds, and classical architecture such as pavilions and towers. Students could enjoy Chinese tea and pastries while watching, immersing themselves in the colorful charm of Chinese stories in a relaxed atmosphere.
2 Guess-the-Idiom
Upon entering, everyone encounters a vibrant scene: students alternate between thoughtful concentration and animated gestures, creating an atmosphere of focused energy.
This is the "Vivid Expressions" station—an interactive challenge where students act out or sketch classical idioms for their peers to guess. The activity fosters lively participation, showcasing creativity and collaboration in a dynamic educational setting.
3 Story Retold
The "Story Retold" Station was a highlighted segment of China Day, featuring 4-5 student storytellers selected from each grade. They took the stage to share narratives ranging from personal experiences to timeless Chinese classics.
Whether delivering heartfelt tales in an intimate style or incorporating the lively formats of stand-up comedy and crosstalk, each teller brings a unique voice and fresh perspective.
This segment directly aligns with this year’s China Day theme, "China Stories," celebrating the power of storytelling through diverse and dynamic expression.
4 Story Treasure Hunt
This station consists of four themed levels, integrating traditional Chinese game formats: students took on challenges including unlocking Luban locks (Chinese puzzle locks), fortune-drawing adventures, and ancient-style mechanical puzzles, completing their time-travel journey through progressively engaging intellectual and entertaining experiences.
5 Gourmet Story
This is an annual tradition at China Day, where students can savor delicious foods prepared by 12th graders: hotpot meatballs, milk tea, and specialty snacks. Fun games such as ring toss, beanbag throw, and "horse flattery" (a playful traditional game) were also available.
Additionally, the 12th graders created a themed poster exhibition titled "The Story of Food," allowing students to learn about the history of culinary culture while enjoying their treats.
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6 Eight Brocades Story
"Elegance in Motion" invites you to explore Baduanjin, an ancient Chinese practice of eight flowing movements that harmonize body and spirit.
Embrace the wisdom of traditional wellness as gentle, accessible postures blend rhythm and vitality, offering a gateway to inner balance and the timeless grace of Eastern health cultivation.
3 Themed Performance
A Decade Fading in the Mortal Tale
G6 Chanting: The Unending Melody
From the foundational self-cultivation of "learning and timely practice" to the life awareness of "emulating the virtuous," finally arriving at the universal sentiment of "all within the Four Seas are brothers." Let the millennia-old Analects transform into an unbroken string song, responding to the questions of our era and nurturing today's China.
Martial Arts: Flowing Clouds and Water
"Flowing Clouds and Running Water" was an interdisciplinary Chinese martial arts performance. This program was jointly completed by Teacher Dora Li's martial arts elective, Teacher Leah Zhang's Digital Visual Arts elective, and Dr. Ai's Music Composition course.
AI-generated audio and video combined with powerful, dynamic martial arts movements created a spectacular performance rich in Chinese elements.
G7 Recitation: Spark—Singing the Stories of Lu Xun
What sparks fly when familiar melodies meet profound thoughts? In Grade 7 Chinese classes, students entered the world of Mr. Lu Xun, delved into Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, and transformed their insights and respect into new lyrics.
They selected popular melodies like The Wind Rises, Fairytale Town, and Outside the Temple, rewriting the lyrics to sing their understanding and love for Lu Xun's spirit with youthful voices.
Let us hear the echoes of the classics in these songs, and the unextinguished spark in young hearts.
G8 Band: The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City is a magnificent palace in Beijing, China. Built in the early 15th century during the Ming Dynasty, it served as the residence for Chinese emperors and their families for centuries. This piece is based on the Chinese folk song Jasmine Flower. The music unfolds from the perspective of a court attendee approaching the palace, gradually revealing its majestic atmosphere, stunning scenery, and grandeur.
G8 Play: A Starry Sky Within a Seed
This play depicted key moments in the life of Academician Yuan Longping, showing his scientific journey from youthful aspiration to steadfast dedication in old age. From the rice fields of Anjiang, Hunan, to the experimental fields in Hainan, from an accidentally discovered tall-stalk rice plant to the birth of hybrid rice.
Yuan Longping conversed with time, difficulty, and hope, elevating the potential of a single seed into a "starry sky." This was not just a story about food; it was a journey about faith, perseverance, and legacy.
Teachers' Traditional Dance Club: Light
The traditional Chinese dance Light is set to a song blending modern pop with traditional Chinese opera, a hymn about finding hope in adversity.
The hard work of athletes and the passing down of civilizations both show that even the longest darkness will eventually be pierced by a glimmer of light. In a predicament as harsh as a snowstorm, the song, like a glimmer of light, illuminates the path ahead. This is a tribute to all who hold onto hope in the dark.
G9 Play: Water Margin: Budget Crisis at the Stronghold
This story was adapted from Water Margin and revolves around how the Liangshan heroes try various ways to make money after the mountain stronghold falls into a financial crisis.
While planning, the Liangshan heroes came to realize that the real crisis was not a lack of money, but that they were on the verge of forgetting "who they were" and their original purpose for gathering at Liangshan. Thus, they once again raised the banner of "acting in Heaven's name," determined to bring peace and prosperity to the people!
G10: Microfilm
Grade 10 completed several well-produced, creative, and subtly expressive microfilms, fully showcasing that "youthful friendship may not be perfect, but it is sincere enough."
Students' Traditional Dance Club: Spring Journey by the Rainy Stream
Spring Journey in a Rainy Stream is a classical dance full of Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze's lower reach) poetic charm. Using oil-paper umbrellas as the core imagery, dancers incorporate the lingering spring rain and the coolness of mountain streams into their movements through agile steps and the opening/closing of umbrellas. In a fusion of poetry and painting, they present a lively scroll of springtime wandering in the rain.
G11 Play: Lu Xun: Scream in the Iron House
This play is a poetic stage drama blending symbolism and expressionism. By reweaving multiple classic characters from Lu Xun's works, it reveals the multiple dimensions of his spiritual world.
In the play, characters such as the Madman, Mei Jianchi, the Man in Black, and the Soldier break free from their original textual frameworks, becoming different "avatars" of Lu Xun. Through poetic dialogues, they engage in intense conversations with the "mediocre masses" and "old customs," collectively raising a "cry" within the oppressive, enclosed "iron house."
G12 Crosstalk: Talks on Horses
Two Grade 12 students performed a classic crosstalk routine in the roles of dougen (the witty lead) and penggen (the straight partner), weaving together ancient and modern tales of horses with humor and insight. They encouraged everyone to embody the horse's spirit: to think independently, speak boldly, reflect thoughtfully, and run their own course.
4 Epilogue
This year's China Day saw THIS teachers and students together perform and recreate so many wonderful China stories, leaving a delicious lasting aftertaste. China stories are never just stories of the past; they can be idioms, fables, or even our own daily lives.
Through these stories, we feel the profound depth of Chinese culture in the interweaving of tradition and modernity, draw wisdom for life and courage to go against the current from vivid characters and narratives, and reflect on the responsibility and mission of cultural heritage in the tides of our times.
We look forward to the day in the near future when THIS students can share these wonderful China Stories with the world on an even bigger stage!
