"What a beautiful calligraphy bookmark!" The athletes of Team Uzbekistan exclaimed at the variety of calligraphic bookmarks in semi-cursive script placed on the table. Next to the waiting area for the individuals of the Asian Games on the zero-meter floor at the Xiaoshan International Airport, there were exhibits of Asian Games mascots, including "Jiangnan Memories" papercut, calligraphic bookmarks, Chinese fans, and auspicious Chinese knots. All of these were traditional Chinese cultural works handmade by ZUFE's students of the Team of Practice for Asian Games.
In order to integrate the philosophy of "holding the event through humanity" into the services provided for the Asian Games, the team began planning in early August, aiming to integrate traditional Chinese cultural elements into voluntary activities. The team members prepared traditional handicrafts such as paper-cuttings with Chinese characteristics, calligraphic fans, and Chinese knots for overseas participants of Asian Games. In addition, they made a bilingual manual named "Stories Behind the Mascots of the Asian Games", hoping to immerse athletes visiting China for the first time in a rich cultural atmosphere during the Asian Games.
At the event, many foreign athletes expressed their curiosity and admiration for the paper cuttings. Ye Xiaofan, a team member, shared her thoughts, "The combination of the brilliant art of paper cuttings and the Asian Games culture is a kind of unique Chinese romance. Selecting samples, removing the blank part and making them hollow-out, under meticulous carving strokes, here we cut a charming and cute the Asian Games mascot vividly out of the paper. I hope that our team's best wishes for 'Humanistic Asian Games' can be communicated and delivered through paper cuttings."
In addition to promoting traditional Chinese culture, team members also actively participated in voluntary activities of the Asian Games, providing service support for the arrival and departure centers at Xiaoshan Airport and Hangzhou East Railway Station. During the "Charming Hangzhou" test games held earlier this year, Jin Zekai, another team member, was responsible for picking up the Japanese and Australian women's volleyball teams at the airport, and it impressed him a lot. He said, "Being a volunteer of Asian Games offers me a platform to interact with different people and cultures. Moreover, I have learned a lot of knowledge that I have never heard before. It is a motivation for me, and will stimulate my enthusiasm for learning."
Every care, sincere smile and explanation from team members, even the trivial ones, played a solid and supportive role. The hard work and dedication of the volunteers also completely illustrated how a large-scale sports event could shape a city full of vitality and brilliance.
The rejuvenation of a nation always relies on the flourishing of its culture; The progress of an era is always marked by the prosperity of culture. Chen Wei, the leading teacher of the practice team, mentioned in an interview that they hoped to integrate the philosophy of "holding the event through humanity" throughout the entire process of arrival and departure service. In addition to ensure the arrival and departure services for all participants for a successful opening of the Asian Games Hangzhou, they would let them feel the humanity of the traditional Chinese culture.
The ZUFE team of practice for Asian Games upholds the principle of "humanistic Asian Games" and the spirit of volunteers in practical activities and Asian Games services. In this way, the volunteers have the opportunity to showcase their youth, and the humanities can be integrated into the Asian Games, so as to show the vitality of traditional Chinese culture in modern society, create a beautiful scenery to the Hangzhou Asian Games, and display the charm of Chinese culture to the world.
