On May 13, 2025, international students from the English Master's Program in Urban and Rural Planning of the School of Architecture and Art, led by the responsible teacher of the college, went to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Qianmen, Beijing to participate in the "Huayin Oriental" living art exhibition curated by "LIFENESS" and international cultural exchange activities ". This event specially invited artists Ms. Kang Chunhui and Mr. Zhang Xiaodong, the management team of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, the senior partner of LIFENESS and representatives of teachers and students of the School of Architecture and Art to participate in the event, and exchanged views on eastern and western art culture and the operation and protection of quadrangle communities.

      After the host introduced the situation of all parties involved and the arrangement of activities, the international students first visited the guest rooms, restaurants and public areas of the quadrangle community hotel under the guidance of hotel space designer Andy Guan, explained how he integrated oriental aesthetics with modern functionality in his design, and emphasized the importance of space layout, material selection and light and shadow application in creating an atmosphere, and how to enhance the overall experience of guests through design.

      During the process, the international students found a rickshaw in a corner of the hospital, and stopped to take photos and ask questions. Andy personally demonstrated the use of rickshaws, and told the historical role of rickshaws in the changes of modern Chinese cities. He vividly introduced the popularity of rickshaws as urban transportation in the old times, the hard work of drivers and the social memory carried by this profession, which deeply touched the students present.

      In the hotel room where the exhibition was set up, the artist himself personally introduced the creative inspiration and expression content of his works to the international students. With her delicate handmade paintings, Ms. Kang Chunhua shows the oriental poetry of floral themes. Her works combine traditional techniques with modern aesthetics, with soft colors and elegant composition, as if to bring viewers into a quiet garden world. In her explanation, Kang Chunhua shared her unique understanding of flowers and how to convey the beauty of nature and inner peace through paintings.

      Zhang Xiaodong, the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, showed his representative works "Endless Life" and "A Thousand Pages of Dragon Scales" online. These two works adopt the ancient "dragon scale" binding technique. By pasting the pages in row upon row, the books show a dynamic effect like dragon scales when turned. In his explanation, Zhang Xiaodong emphasized the application of "dragon scale costume" in modern art and how he revived this traditional skill through innovative design.

      After the visit, everyone started a dialogue and exchange session with the theme of "Art and Culture" in the conference room, presenting everyone with the thinking logic and cultural accumulation behind artistic creation. Two student representatives, Charles Kachingwe from Malawi and Thuto Molate from Botswana, as urban and housing development officials, combined their professional background and learning experience in China to talk about the inspiration of oriental space aesthetics on their urban and rural planning thinking. Charles said that oriental design pays attention to the harmonious relationship between environment and people, which makes him reflect on the problem of excessive functional orientation in Malawi's urban space. Thuto shared his feelings after visiting the hotel space, emphasizing how cultural elements can enhance the sense of belonging and respect in urban life. They said that participating in this activity is not only an artistic experience, but also a cultural reflection. In the interaction with foreign friends, they are deeply aware of the importance of "understanding the culture of others" and "telling their own stories well", and hope to bring this spirit of cross-cultural communication into their own study and future practice in the future.

      Other international students from the belt and road initiative countries also actively asked questions, covering how traditional skills continue in modern design, the collision and contrast between eastern and western aesthetics, etc. The three artists responded frankly, and the whole communication session was diverse in languages and rich in viewpoints. In a relaxed atmosphere, it built a bridge of mutual listening and understanding between Chinese and foreign guests, which became the most speculative time in the afternoon.