From November 29 to 30, 2025, the School of Architecture and Urban Planning organized a two-day cultural trip to Chengdu for over 20 international students from 19 countries. Accompanied by their academic supervisors, course instructors, and class advisors, the group visited the Jinsha Ruin Site Museum and the Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum, embarking on an immersive cultural journey that spanned from the ancient Shu civilization to the former residence of Du Fu, the celebrated poet saint of the Tang Dynasty.
During their visit to the Jinsha Ruin Site Museum, the group first entered the Relics Hall, standing amidst the original excavation site of the artifacts, where they experienced the awe-inspiring atmosphere of the archaeological grounds. With the professional guidance of museum docents, the students gained detailed insights into the excavation process, stratigraphic structure of the site, and the historical context behind the discovery of national treasures such as the Gold Crown Band. Upon encountering the museum’s most celebrated artifacts in the Exhibition Hall—including the Golden Sun Bird Ornament and the Large Golden Masks of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the students were deeply impressed by the extraordinary craftsmanship and artistic sophistication of the ancient Shu civilization. Through multidimensional displays on ecology, architecture, daily life, production, and ritual practices, the exhibition systematically reconstructed the social landscape of ancient Jinsha, allowing the international students to appreciate the brilliance and splendor of early Shu culture.
On the second day, the group visited the Du Fu Thatched Cottage, immersing themselves in the tranquil atmosphere where classical Chinese poetry and traditional garden artistry intertwine. As a representative example of classical Shu-style gardens and a conservation center for historic Western Sichuan architecture, the site provided architecture students with vivid field case studies. Key structures such as the Daxie Hall, Poetic History Hall, and Minister Du's Memorial Hall, featuring classic wooden column and tie type structure, served as practical learning models. Students showed keen interest in traditional building techniques like "bamboo-framed mud walls" and "pepper-plastered rooms". Strolling through the Bonsai Garden, the Orchid Garden, and poetic pavilions over water, the international students experienced the refined aesthetics and idealized living philosophy of Chinese literati. Through guided explanations, they learned about Du Fu’s life of displacement, his journeys into and out of Sichuan, and the origins of titles such as "Minister Du". The visit culminated with a group recitation of his famous poem “My Cottage Unroofed by Autumn Gales,” whose profound verses transcended time and deeply moved all present, allowing students to connect with Du Fu’s compassion and enduring spirit.
This cultural trip represents a significant practice in deeply integrating professional education with national context education at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Through field visits, international students engaged in a dialogue across time and space between the ancient Shu civilization and the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty, which not only enhanced their professional knowledge but also allowed them to personally experience the profound depth and enduring heritage of Chinese civilization. The students unanimously expressed that the Chengdu trip was highly rewarding, serving as both an immersive cultural experience and an intellectual inspiration. Moving forward, the Faculty will continue to organize diverse and substantial practical activities of this kind.
