On May 29, the second Campus Culture Festival of Beijing Forestry University, themed "Splendid Landscapes: Forests Painted in Colors", was inaugurated. The opening ceremony was attended by Wang Hongyuan, Chairman of University Council, BFU, and hosted by Sun Xinli, Vice-Chairman of University Council, BFU. Xiao Xiangrong, Dean of the School of Arts and Media at Beijing Normal University, was invited to deliver the keynote presentation.

Wang Hongyuan emphasized the importance of adhering to Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as the foundational principle, advocating for a distinctive path of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics. He outlined comprehensive strategies to advance the cultural development at BFU by promoting unity, fostering new talents, and enhancing the university's cultural image. He laid out the following requirements: First, there is a steadfast dedication to the integration of Xi Jinping's cultural thought within educational curriculum, with a focus on enhancing pedagogical appraoches that emphasize patriotism, collectivism, and socialism, aimed at nurturing new talents poised to lead in the era of national renaissance. This includes building a strong BFU spirit, values, and strength, unwaveringly contributing to national development and revitalizaiton. Second, there is a push to enhance educational endeavors through cultural initiatives, anchoring the university's cultural efforts in its core educational mission of moral and personal development, leveraging its rich 70-year history to tell BFU's story well while upholding integrity and pursuing innovation, thereby strengthening its cultural confidence and guiding its community forward.Third, the strategy involves a cultural strengthening of the institution by aligning closely with the needs and aspirations of both faculty and students, hosting a series of cultural brand activities like the campus festival, and thus amplifying BFU's cultural influence and unity towards building a world-class university dedicated to ecological civilization.

Sun Xinli highlighted the University Council's strong commitment to BFU's cultural development, including a specially-established Cultural Construction Committee chaired by the chairman of University Council and President, integrating the efforts of various administrative departments. The committee has developed a strategic plan called "841 BFU Cultural Framework" which includes systematic initiatives like the "Eight Major Projects" the innovative "Four Seasons Culture," and the orderly "One College, One Feature" program, aiming to enrich and advance BFU's cultural landscape. She emphasized that this cultural festival serves as a key platform and practical step in strengthening this cultural construction. She then detailed the arrangements for the second edition of the 2nd campus cultural festival.

At the opening ceremony, Wang Hongyuan, Xiao Xiangrong, faculty representative Wang Dandan from the School of Landscape Architecture, and student representative Li Na from Russia, participated in a ceremonial sand pouring for the "Splendid Landscapes: Forests Painted in Colors" sand scroll, officially inaugurating the second Campus Culture Festival of Beijing Forestry University.

Wang Hongyuan presented Professor Xiao Xiangrong a letter of appointment as a guest professor from Beijing Forestry University. Holding the position of Dean of the School of Arts and Media at Beijing Normal University, Professor Xiao is a distinguished director and choreographer. He has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading several major national celebration projects, including serving as the chief director for the Tiananmen Square event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. The media has recognized him as a "pioneer in artistic innovation and art education, with an international perspective, local awareness, and contemporary aesthetics."

Following the opening ceremony, Xiao Xiangrong delivered a lecture entitled "Standing on the Broad Stage of the Era — Cultivating People through Culture and Enriching Hearts with Beauty". He drew on his involvement in various significant national initiatives to discuss his role as both a cultural and educational figure. Xiao shared how he commits to cultural endeavors and political education by using the mediums of art and film to tell China's story and depict the ethos of the Chinese people, especially its youth. He encouraged the youth of the new era to meet challenges head-on with practical actions and to create a youth legacy worthy of the times.

The second campus cultural festival of BFU is organized by the Public Media Division of CPC, involving all colleges and relevant administrative units. Scheduled from May to July 2024, the festival is structured around four themes, including 13 diverse activities such as various online cultural initiatives, a short video contest themed on "I Fell in Love with a Book", collections of anti-corruption cultural works, graduation season art performances, an graduation work exhibition of School of Art and Design, special graduate exhibitions at BFU history museum, a themed essay competition about experiences at BFU, a graduation song festival alongside a Top Ten Campus Singers contest, alumni cultural activities themed around "My Love for BFU", a talen show of graduate and faculty talents, and the inaugural Student International Culture Festival. These events are aimed at fully engage teachers and students in cultural activities to further enhance the influence of BFU culture and better solidify the cultural identity and shared values among the whole BFU.

The university choir performed the song "Shang Chun Shan (Ascending Spring Mountain)" showcasing the artistic talent and vibrant spirit of BFUers. Over 300 attendees participated in the opening ceremony and attended the lecture.

Written by Yang Yinan
Photo by Chen Haoyuan, Jiang Yue
Translated and edited by Song He
Reviewed by Yu Yangyang