Tsinghua International School (THIS) celebrated its first-ever World Culture Day on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. The new annual event was created by the World Modern Languages Department (WML), opening a window for the entire school community to look out at the world.
Letting Culture Speak for Itself
World Culture Day invited students to explore traditions, games, and creative practices from around the world. The event was shaped by the knowledge and creativity of faculty and guest "cultural ambassadors," ensuring that each station showcased its culture authentically.
As Ms. Alexandria Cross, head of the WML department, noted, "The most important aspect of the cultural activities is that they are authentic, not artificial. These activities were planned by people who know the culture deeply."
Over a Dozen Countries, Over a Dozen Experiences
Throughout the school, teachers from different countries set up their own "cultural corners," showcasing their home countries' languages, cuisines, and cultural practices.
Ms. Jasmina Blazheska and Mr. Djordje Joksic collaborated on a station showcasing the countries of North Macedonia and Serbia, two countries with deep historical ties. After an introduction of the languages, customs, and famous figures, students engaged in crafting their own commemorative Cyrillic keychain. Coupled with the amazing photo cutout boards featuring traditional dress, students are sure to remember the birthplace of Alexander the Great.
Ms. Hyejin Kim and Mr. Jean Choe Jr., along with student volunteers, created a station to share Korean culture with the THIS community. Students learned to write their name in Hangul, the Korean alphabet, and took part in traditional games. Through these hands-on activities, students did not just learn about Korean culture but immersed themselves in it.
Mr. Bart Mingielewicz shared about notable Polish figures from history including Frédéric Chopin, Nicolaus Copernicus, and Marie Curie. He then taught traditional Polish patterns and motifs, which students utilized when decorating traditional wooden toy tops.
Ms. Nathalene Gardner showcased the vibrancy of Jamaica through the lens of ludi, a traditional board game. In Jamaica, these boards are unique, typically highlighting cultural features such as local musicians and landmarks. Students were able to personalize blank boards to reflect their own experiences, bringing this Jamaican practice into their own lives.
Mr. An Nguyen guided students through a vibrant exploration of Vietnamese culture. Students played traditional Tet festival games such as Tiến Lên, Cờ Cá Ngựa, and Bầu Cua Cá Cọp and enjoyed Bánh Mì, a Vietnamese food. The station also offered opportunities to engage with Vietnamese literature, including discussions of The Sympathizer by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen and an excerpt from Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous.
Mr. Florian Brocard and Mr. Christophe Eloy, both from France, took students outside to enjoy the spring weather and play the French game petanque. High school students embraced the friendly competition, discovering how games can bring people and cultures together.
At World Culture Day, Vice Principal Weiky Liu and admissions officers Nora Li and Sharon Yang led the "Chinese Culture Sachet Journey," guiding participants to make herbal sachets while sharing cultural stories through every stitch—offering a hands-on experience of China's intangible heritage.
Several other stations offered a variety of cultural experiences. Every station was more than just a display—students were encouraged to actively use their hands, hearts, and minds to participate.
Cervantes Institute and the Spanish Embassy: Support from Beyond Campus
The World Culture Day received strong support from the Spanish Embassy in Beijing and the Cervantes Institute (Instituto Cervantes) in Beijing — efforts made possible through the active coordination of THIS Spanish teacher Inma de Lahoz.
Juan Carlos of the Cervantes Institute talked about how Spanish is not so distant from English and led an activity on cognates and false friends, with prizes for the winners. He also encouraged students to attend the monthly free activities at the Spanish cultural center.
Highlights of the Assembly: Diplomats, Polyglots and Student Performances
At the assembly, Spanish Consul General in Beijing D. Juan Jose Buitrago de Benito delivered an engaging talk. He spoke about what it means to be a diplomat, explaining the role of promoting bilateral relations across politics, economics, trade, culture and tourism, as well as visa services.
He also introduced the concept of consular protection, with a focus on safeguarding the safety and rights of citizens living or traveling abroad. The talk gave students a clearer understanding of diplomacy and planted seeds of inspiration for future careers.
Two Iranian students from Tsinghua University (both polyglots) then took the stage. In a lively and engaging style, they shared the importance of learning foreign languages — especially mastering multiple languages. The atmosphere was electric, and the students were deeply inspired.
Languages Take the Stage
THIS offers French and Spanish electives for students in Grade 8 through 12, helping them expand their linguistic abilities beyond their bilingual foundation in Chinese and English. For World Culture Day, students from both language classes delivered brilliant performances that became highlights of the assembly.
French students performed an a cappella version of the classic French children's song Frère Jacques. This song is the melodic source of the Chinese children's song Two Tigers. French teacher Mr. Eloy explained that he chose this song precisely because of its strong connection to Two Tigers.
Mr. Eloy explained that he chose this song precisely because of its strong connection to "Two Tigers." As part of the WML Department, he enjoyed the first-ever THIS World Culture Day.
"I think it's great that students get to experience the cultures that make our school 'International.' I hope in the future, we can have parents and students from different countries and regions run their own cultural stations, too!"
In addition, students created a video and dubbed it in French, telling the story of Joan of Arc.
Spanish students brought both a song and a self-devised drama.
Students performed Groenlandia (Greenland), a joyful pop song in the 1980's about a person searching for someone across the world — from Borneo to Japan, Easter Island, and even Jupiter and Mars.
Spanish teacher Ms. de Lahoz chose the song purposely because it introduces many different places, some familiar and some new to students, and fits perfectly with the theme of discovering new countries and cultures.
The drama they played was adapted from a sketch on US TV drama Saturday Night Live featuring Bad Bunny and Marcelo Hernandez, telling the story of a Spanish explorer bringing cacao beans back from South America to the Spanish king.
The drama also reminded students that many of the staple foods we eat today — like potatoes, corn, pepper and chocolate (cocoa) — originally came from the American continent. These foods were completely unknown in Europe and Asia until the 16th century, yet today we cannot live without them.
Spanish 2 students created a video adaptation of La Celestina (1499) by Fernando de Rojas. They took on roles, chose costumes, handled editing, and added humor to make the classic accessible to a modern audience. They enjoyed rehearsing and recording, and were delighted that students and teachers alike loved it.
English in Action
Of course, French and Spanish are not the only languages taught at THIS. SEI (Structured English Immersion) and ELS (English Language Support) classes support students in English acquisition through unique, real-world application. One such project is the Grade 9 ELS video project to interview the program's cultural ambassadors about various aspects of their culture.
Another project is the Grade 7 SEI project called The Hero's Journey, which follows the 12 steps of Joseph Campbell's monomyth, from "The Ordinary World" to "Return with the Elixir." Students delivered their lines in clear, confident English — a proud demonstration of how far they have come as language learners.
For this year's Hero's Journey project, SEI students performed key scenes from Rocky, the classic underdog story. They updated the 1976 film to a modern-day Chinese setting, adding satire and allusions that made the audience laugh with recognition—from local food to the THIS stairs.
A Diverse Campus, a Rich Daily Life
In fact, theme days like this are not uncommon at THIS. The PE Department has Sports Day, the Technology Department has Tech Day, the Math Department has Pi Day (Math Week) and the Chinese Department has China Day — each department has its own signature theme day, allowing students to immerse themselves in different fields outside the classroom.
This time, the WML Department tried something different — bringing the "world" onto campus. From French children's songs to Colombian dance, from Latin to Spanish drama, from North Macedonia to Korea, from Jamaica to Vietnam — on this World Culture Day, THIS campus became a small "global village."
THIS itself is a community rich in cultural diversity and inclusion. Here, students come from 20 countries and regions; among the faculty, there are more than 70 international (and those from Chinese Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao regions) teachers from 17 countries and regions. People of different languages, skin colors and traditions learn in the same classrooms, run on the same fields and grow up under the same roof.
World Culture Day is a snapshot of that daily reality: students conversing with the world and understanding themselves through diversity. THIS students navigate between cultures every day. Their growth happens quietly, day by day, through cultural encounters.
As the first World Culture Day at THIS came to a close, the WML Department would like to share three expectations for students:
Approach unfamiliar cultural traditions with an open mindset
Treat cultural traditions from around the world with respect
Embrace the commonalities shared by cultures around the world
And the message they most want to convey is: "Learning about cultures enriches our understanding of our own."
Perhaps that is the true meaning of World Culture Day — not about memorizing facts, but about planting a seed. A seed that grows through daily exposure to different cultures, helping every child learn to see the world, care for others and stand on their own.
The world is vast. May every child, nurtured by diverse cultures, grow into better versions of themselves.
