To promote cultural exchange between universities in Macao and the Chinese mainland and to deepen Macao students’ understanding of traditional Chinese culture, Cheng Yu Tung College (CYTC) of the University of Macau (UM) organised an exchange trip for its students and faculty to visit Hunan University. During the trip, CYTC members attended the Confucius memorial ceremony to commemorate the 2,576th anniversary of Confucius’ birth.

The opening ceremony of the exchange programme took place at Yuelu Academy, where Gong Yingxue, associate master of CYTC, and Xiao Yongming, dean of Yuelu Academy, delivered speeches. They both expressed their high regard for the exchange programme. As part of the programme, students and faculty from UM and Hunan Universities attended the Confucius memorial ceremony and experienced the traditional Chinese ritual.

In addition, students and faculty from CYTC visited several sites in Hunan. At the former site of Shiwu College, they gained insight into the patriotic sentiments and missions of intellectuals of the late Qing dynasty who sought to ‘save the nation from peril’. At the former site of the First Normal School of Hunan, they learned about Mao Zedong’s academic journey and the struggles of the predecessors. They also enjoyed the scenery of the Xiang River at the southernmost tip of Orange Isle. Moreover, Li Yixuan, assistant professor in the Department of History at Hunan University, gave a lecture on the history of Yuelu Mountain during the Six Dynasties period, enhancing the CYTC members’ understanding of its thousand-year history.

The exchange programme is a testament to the strong friendship between the two colleges and has laid a solid foundation for future cooperation. In return, Yuelu Academy will send its students to visit CYTC in August next year.