Bay Area Youth Deciphering Garden Culture and Overseas Chinese School Spirit
On December 13, 2025, due to rainfall, the originally scheduled field research activity of the sixth "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Creative Design (Creativity 100) Talent Training Program" was adjusted to an indoor in-depth study. On the sixth day of the ten-day training, 23 students from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao held a discussion on the theme of "Blossoming Guangzhou" in the morning. In the afternoon, they visited the History Museum of Jinan University to trace the cultural heritage of this century-old overseas Chinese university, exploring the integration of tradition and creativity through visiting, exchanging ideas, and learning.
This training was meticulously planned by the UNESCO Chair in Inheritance and Innovation of World Traditional Crafts, hosted by the Institute of Cultural Heritage and Creative Industries at Jinan University, and funded by the Beijing Chen Jianghe Charity Foundation. With "Blossoming Guangzhou" as the core theme, the training delved deeply into the rich connotations of Lingnan garden culture, establishing a vast platform for youth creative exchange in the Greater Bay Area. Despite the continuous rain outside, the atmosphere at the morning opening discussion was still lively. Participants from each group engaged in focused discussions on creative directions, theme deepening, form innovation, and feasibility of implementation. Focusing on Guangzhou's distinctive elements such as ancient trees, flowers, and gardens, they explored the integration path of traditional elements and modern design language. During the discussions, there were clear explanations of design concepts, repeated deliberations on detailed plans such as the transformation of flower patterns, deconstruction of garden spaces, and ancient tree culture, as well as collisions of viewpoints on the balance between cultural connotation transmission and creative expression. This fully demonstrated the professionalism and innovative vitality of young designers in the Greater Bay Area, laying a solid foundation for subsequent project creation.
In the afternoon, Zheng Man, the inheritor of school history, led the students into the School History Museum of Jinan University, embarking on a journey of cultural tracing spanning over a century. From the establishment of Jinan School in 1906 to address the educational challenges faced by overseas Chinese children in Southeast Asia, to the family school system during its early days in Nanjing; from the expansion of disciplines and perseverance in running schools in concessions during the Shanghai period, to the challenging years of "seeking shelter from explosions in the mountains during the day and studying diligently under tung oil lamps" in Jianyang, Fujian; and then to the vigorous development after the reconstruction of Guangzhou in 1958, Zheng Man detailed the school's tumultuous journey through relocation, suspension, and reconstruction, as well as the brilliant achievements made under the "overseas Chinese school + prestigious school" strategy.
In the cultural connotation exhibition area, the origin of the school name, which means "spreading east to the sea, west to the sand dunes, north to the south, and reaching all corners of the world with its sound and teachings," deeply shocked the students. The school motto of "loyalty, faith, sincerity, and respect," as well as the school badge that always retains the character "南" and the element of a sailboat, convey the original intention and mission of overseas Chinese education. From the teaching stories of academic giants such as Shen Congwen and Liang Shiqiu, to the extensive layout of more than 150 alumni organizations worldwide; from the distribution of over 60 million copies of the Chinese language textbook "Chinese," to the Jinan University students who first stood on the finals stage at the Berlin Olympics, the cultural heritage genes and open and inclusive spirit accumulated in the century-old school history deeply inspired the students and filled them with emotion.
As a Bay Area creative talent cultivation brand with five years of deep cultivation, "Creativity 100" has always adhered to the mission of "activating culture with creativity and serving society with design". Up to now, the project has cultivated more than 100 young creative talents, becoming the "seed force" of cultural innovation in the Bay Area. As the training enters the critical stage, the students will continue to integrate Lingnan garden culture and the spiritual core of overseas Chinese schools, and will also improve their design schemes through field sketching. The excellent works produced will be introduced to the market through achievement reporting exhibitions, cultural and creative transformation, and other forms, allowing traditional culture to be rejuvenated in creative design, injecting fresh vitality into the development of the cultural and creative industry in the Greater Bay Area.
This training is not only an impartation of knowledge and skills, but also an inheritance of culture and spirit. The trainees have expressed that they will take this training as an opportunity to continuously enhance their creative design abilities and contribute their own strength to the development of the cultural and creative industries in the Bay Area.
