On the evening of September 20th, 30 students from the Fashion Performance Major of the School of Design’s Fashion Art Department were invited to the opening ceremony of the 2nd Chu Culture Festival. They performed alongside renowned Jingzhou-born actress Zeng Li “Splendid Rivers and Mountains, Robes Together” and “Let the World See”, presenting the charm of Chu culture.
As an outstanding representative of ancient southern Chinese civilization in the Yangtze River basin, Chu culture holds a vital place in Chinese civilization with its romantic artistic style, profound philosophy, and bold and unrestrained spirit. Jingzhou, the core birthplace and prosperous hub of Chu culture, has long been committed to exploring, protecting, preserving and carrying forward Chu culture, promoting its vitality today and extending its global reach in a comprehensive manner.
With the theme "Let the World See Chu Culture", the festival is guided by the China Public Diplomacy Association, Chinese Culture Promotion Society, and Cultural Communication Committee of China Culture Administration Association, and hosted by the CPC Jingzhou Municipal Committee and Jingzhou Municipal People’s Government. Its scale sets a historic record among Hubei’s prefecture-level cities.
Held at Jingzhou Fantawild Oriental Myth Theme Park, the opening ceremony is both a cross-temporal cultural gala blending ancient and modern elements and a platform for college students to better understand Chu culture and spread the beauty of traditional Chinese costumes.
Since receiving the invitation from the Publicity Department of the CPC Jingzhou Municipal Committee, the School of Design’s leaders have attached great importance to the event. Teachers and students of the Fashion Performance Major actively prepared and dedicated themselves, approaching every stage—from rehearsals to the final performance with professionalism and enthusiasm. On stage, they displayed the elegance of traditional Chinese etiquette and the beauty of Warring States attire through their professional competence and exquisite performances.
Participating student Zhang Jialin noted: "During rehearsals, we deepened our understanding of Chu’s costume culture. Under the director’s guidance, we adjusted our demeanor, steps and expressions to convey Chu culture’s spiritual essence and the charm of its costumes."
Cheng Ruoxi shared: "As a student, I am not just a model but also a narrator of Chu culture. This experience gave me valuable stage experience. In the future, I hope to use my professional skills to showcase more traditional costumes that embody Chinese culture."
By Xu Zixuan, Shang Fangyin, Chen Minying and Lisha
