Global exploration

Culturally themed mood board design was one highlight of the festival. Chen says two classes worked together on each board, which represented the culture of a specific country. These included some countries from Asia and Europe, and some were involved in China's Belt and Road Initiative.

"We asked the students to use recycled materials, such as milk cartons, to make their collages," she says, adding that the students also had to give a two-minute introduction in English about their assigned country and take questions on the presentation day.

A dozen students produced a multi-language video, Hi Xiamen, which introduces the city in French, German, Spanish and Japanese. The video, which showcases tourist sites and local snacks, was presented at the festival.

The video's production team was led by Duan Yanjing. She studied French for six years at the Xiamen school and is set to continue her studies at Nanjing University in Jiangsu province.

Growing up in Xiamen, Duan says she learned more about the city when making the video. The students filmed a traditional tea house in an alley that is next to the bustling Zhongshan Road pedestrian zone.

"I found out that in this modern city, there are still people living in such a simple way," she says, adding that the tea culture is an indispensable part of Xiamen life.

After a month of intensive work, Duan and her teammates were satisfied with their video.

"We also organized the speaking competition in French, Japanese, Spanish and German this year. The competition was only held in English in previous years. We wanted to see if we could encourage more students to join in," she says.