On April 24, the 2026 “Dream Tour in Zhejiang” International Students’ Chinese Talent Showcase concluded at Hangzhou Dianzi University. Co-hosted by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, the Information Office of the Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, the Zhejiang Foreign Affairs Office, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, and Zhejiang Radio and Television Group, and organized by Hangzhou Dianzi University and Zhejiang TV’s Science, Education and Film Channel, this year’s event—titled “Dream Tour in Zhejiang, Splendor in the Cloud”—brought together international students from more than twenty universities across the province. It comprised a Chinese song contest for international students, a Chinese talent showcase, and a study tour to Zhejiang’s international student education bases, designed to help international students deeply experience the splendid culture of the Chinese nation and appreciate Zhejiang’s dynamic social and economic development.
In the talent showcase on April 24, ZJSU international students presented “Tea Veins,” an original cultural dance that uses graceful movement to tell the moving story of tea carrying emotion and civilizations learning from one another. Blending classical Chinese dance with contemporary dance, the performance featured eighteen international students from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries. Framed around the narrative of “a Westerner traveling east in search of tea,” the dance traces the civilizational journey of tea culture from an Eastern realm to the world stage.
In the dance, a young Westerner journeys east in search of the “magic leaf,” weaving through “mountains and waters” and moving through an emotional arc of discovery, tasting, and enchantment before carefully wrapping the tea and setting off on the road. Leading his companions against wind-blown sands and across rivers, he carries tea bricks along the Silk Road to the market. As the tea is brewed, its fragrance travels through light, shadow, and crowds, spreading across the globe. Friends from many nations sit in a circle, performing the tea ritual in unison—taking leaves, pouring water, waiting, and offering cups—before raising their cups in a gesture of respect toward the East, letting a fragrance that spans time connect East and West, tradition and modernity.
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With tea as its pulse and dance as its soul, the piece has performers from across the world use light, graceful movement to write a quiet epic of how humankind is connected—and understood—through tea, inviting the audience to feel a warmth that transcends cultures amid the fragrance and the motion.
A single leaf of tea distills a thousand years of Eastern heritage; a thread of tea spirit journeys across the mountains and seas of the world. After nearly two months of diligent rehearsal, the students from many countries not only mastered the rhythms and techniques of Chinese dance but also, in every movement, came to understand the profound meaning and spiritual depth of Chinese tea culture.
Student Reflections
Lin Yali, Russia
This year I stood once again on the “Dream Tour in Zhejiang” stage. Last year I left unforgettable memories here, and I hope to return next year. The dance we performed, “Tea Veins,” is danced while holding a small teacup. For me, it tells more than the story of a single leaf—it tells how culture crosses distances and binds people tightly together. Chinese tea culture and participants from many nations dancing on the same stage is itself the most vivid blending of cultures.
When you hold that little teacup, you understand: it is a way of communicating even without words.
An Shi, a French international student at ZJSU, was selected as a host for this year’s showcase. He has hosted ZJSU’s “Going Global, Coming Home” Chinese-foreign student gala for two consecutive years and is fluent as an emcee in Chinese, English, and French. At the “Dream Tour in Zhejiang” talent showcase, An Shi stood out with his poised stage presence and fluent, natural Chinese.
Student Reflections
April 24 was an intense and unforgettable day. From nine in the morning to nine at night, I experienced the entire preparation process for a live television performance. In that single day, I gained focus, growth, and perseverance.
The entire show was wonderful and moving; every act had its own unique atmosphere, making the gala vivid and unforgettable.
The nineteenth “Dream Tour in Zhejiang” holds special meaning for me. It reminds me of my first time taking part, in 2024, when I was only a ZJSU student performing on stage, not a host. This experience also mirrors my journey learning Chinese: from a basic level to co-hosting a large provincial event for international students. My heartfelt thanks go to the Zhejiang Satellite TV team, my hosting coach, and to the university for its ongoing trust, help, and support.
On February 25, international students visited Zhongce Rubber and the BRICS Special Economic Zone China Cooperation Center, experiencing at close range the vibrant energy of Hangzhou’s digital economy and the unique appeal of cutting-edge technology.
At the Zhongce Rubber production campus, real-time data flickering in the digital showroom and highly automated future production workshops gave students a direct sense of the technological strength and efficient output of China’s manufacturing industry, drawing waves of admiration.
At the BRICS Cooperation Center, students gained an in-depth understanding of the fruits of cooperation between China and the BRICS countries and of digital innovation in practice, truly appreciating the Zhejiang charm where traditional culture and modern technology interweave.
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This series of “Dream Tour in Zhejiang” activities has provided ZJSU international students with an excellent platform to experience China, exchange cultures, and showcase their talent. Whether on stage—where, through tea, civilizations meet and learn from one another—or in practice, where they approached a digital Zhejiang and felt its pulse, the students read China’s story and came to appreciate Zhejiang’s charm through walking and reflecting. Going forward, ZJSU will continue to deepen cultural education and exchange programs for international students, helping more young people from around the world become bridges of cultural communication between China and the world, and letting youth blossom in the blending of cultures.
