Peking University, February 19, 2025: Under the guidance of UNESCO Chair on Creativity and Sustainable Development in Rural Areas, PKU’s Institute for Cultural Industries, in collaboration with Universitas Brawijaya’s School of Cultural Studies, hosted the “Across the Mountains and Seas, A Youthful Countryside Meeting” Workshop in Malang and Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from February 3 to 10, 2025, bringing together over 20 faculty members and students from both universities.
The workshop explored the potential for cooperation between China and Indonesia in rural cultural heritage, creative economy, and sustainable development, intended to inspire innovative ideas for rural revitalization in both countries and across Asia.
During academic exchange sessions, Universitas Brawijaya organized three online lectures, presenting the history, culture, and customs of East Java and Malang to the workshop participants. Dean of Peking University’s Institute for Cultural Industries, Xiang Yong, delivered an English lecture at Universitas Brawijaya’s School of Cultural Studies, titled “Locality and Asianness: the current situation and development prospects of cultural industries cooperation between China and Indonesia”, in which he reviewed the bilateral historical interactions and cultural exchanges, pointing to new frontiers in cultural industry cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Prof. Xiang Yong delivers a lecture, answers questions, and exchanges gifts with the Indonesian side
The participants undertook cultural explorations, visiting local workshops for batik, woodwork, weaving, apple plantation, brown sugar production, observing traditional wedding ceremonies, Javanese dance, and masterpieces of art, as well as making Indonesian relief sculptures and cuisines. The craftsmanship showcased the ingenuity of the Indonesian people in utilizing natural resources and the accumulation of wisdom in labor.
The workshop participants learn traditional Indonesian batik and dance, and visit cultural heritage distrcits
For the purpose of creative practice, participants were divided into four groups to carry out roadshows based on their project proposals, respectively a tourism product themed around green apples, the symbol connection between Peking Opera facial makeup and Indonesian masks, experience of Malang’s sound resources, and the combination of traditional Malang batik techniques and social media. These fresh visions dispelled the stereotype of rural Asia being backward and lagging behind, reflecting the appreciation and resonance that young people from both countries have for Indonesian culture.
Creative project proposals and feedback from Chinese and Indonesian professors
Written by: He Yike
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
