The remarkable accomplishments of China's Rural Revitalization Strategy, and the long history of the Great Wall in the Gubeikou area of Beijing gave 41 international students an in-depth understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture.

Visit the village history museum

The students saw first-hand Beijing Union University’s impact as part of this study tour under the guidance of Teacher Shi Guohua, the first secretary dispatched by BUU to Gubeikou Village.

Teacher Shi Guohua introduced the history of Gubeikou Village

The first stop of the study tour was the Panlongshan Great Wall. It is a renowned site related to the War of Anti-Japanese War. The international students visited the relics of the War of Resistance on the Great Wall here and learned about the history of Anti-Japanese War. The ruins of the General Tower on the Panlongshan Great Wall, as the commanding point of the Panlongshan section of the Gubeikou Great Wall, used to be a strategic location. Even today, it still stands firm, witnessing the vicissitudes of history.

visiti the Panlong Mountain Great Wall

After visiting the Panlong Mountain Great Wall, the next stop was the Gubeikou Village History Museum and the Village Cultural Compound. Here, the historical changes and cultural inheritance of Gubeikou Village over thousands of years along with the construction of the Great Wall are displayed, allowing the international students to have a more intuitive understanding of the history of the Chinese Great Wall and the development of rural society. The Village History Museum and the Village Cultural Compound are not only places for cultural inheritance but also an important manifestation of cultural revitalization in the Rural Revitalization Strategy.

Visit the village cultural compound

The Beikou City Gate Tower, as a part of the Gubeikou Great Wall, is an important cultural heritage in Miyun District, Beijing. The international students felt the grandeur of the Great Wall and the profoundness of history here. The Gubeikou Great Wall War Memorial Hall comprehensively showcases the history of the Gubeikou Great Wall Anti-Japanese War in 1933 through real objects, pictures and documentary materials, enabling the international students to have a deeper understanding of this period of history.

Visit the Memorial Hall of Anti-Japanese War at Gubeikou Great Wall

The last stop of the study tour was Gubei Water Town, which is an international tourism resort integrating sightseeing, leisure, business exhibitions, and creative culture. The Water Town not only showcases the unique charm of the northern water town but also serves as a model of rural revitalization and tourism development in Beijing. The international students strolled along the paths in the water town, watched the drone performance, and personally experienced the beauty of the integration of traditional Chinese culture and modern technology.

Beijing Union University is committed to creating a mobile education classroom for international students studying in China, leading them to traverse the ancient and modern sides of Beijing, feast their eyes on Beijing's culture, listen to Beijing's stories, and feel the charm of the capital.

Through this on-site study tour, held in November, the international students not only learned about the development and achievements of Beijing's rural revitalization but also deeply felt the profound heritage of Chinese history and culture. This promotes mutual understanding among different cultures and advances the exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

Text by Qu Wenchao

Photo by Wang Mian

Edit by Rees-Farrell Peter