近日，《走遍苏州》Album of Suzhou (AOS) 八周年庆典活动在相城区举办，吸引了众多中外友人参与。
The 8th anniversary celebration of the program "Album of Suzhou" (AOS) kicked off at Anyuan Jiayuan Community Service Center, Xiangcheng District recently.
"Album of Suzhou" is a series of activities that invite expats to explore the history and culture of Suzhou under the guidance of local experts. Jeff, the foreign representative of AOS, said he has learned a great deal about Suzhou through the program and also made many like-minded friends.
During the anniversary celebration, participants looked back on the eight-year journey of AOS while staging a variety of performances, including pingtan (storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect), singing, instrumental performances, tai chi, and nunchaku. Tai chi teacher Zhang Lintao invited foreign friends to learn the ancient Chinese martial art together, and Nida and Mehvish from India brought henna to the site, which was especially popular among female participants.
Henna art experience
Bernd from Germany and his wife Bonny, who comes from the US, performed on the viola and violin together. "Music, tai chi, fling bomb cards, talks, poetry, henna art and a lively atmosphere for bridging cultures and sharing Suzhou with the rest of the world filled the day with a colorful quilt of all kinds of people and sharing. This lovely, human sentiment of kindness and warm-hearted interaction makes me feel proud to be able to be part of such an endeavor," said Bonny.
Evans, one of the founders of Suzhou International Guandan Club, introduced the basic information about the club and hoped more and more people from around the world can join them and experience this Chinese card game as well as the profound Chinese culture.
Patrick Qu, founder of AOS, expressed his hope that AOS can grow into a bridge for cultural exchange between the East and West, helping more foreign friends understand, fall in love with, and spread the word about Suzhou.
By iSuzhou reporter Wu Yingxian
