On July 1, 2025, the Cross-Strait Culinary and Cultural Journey - Exploring the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Jingchu was launched in Wuhan, hosted by Hubei University of Economics. Sixteen young people from Taiwan crossed the strait to embark on a seven-day cultural roots-seeking journey. With the theme of Joining Hands to Appreciate Intangible Cultural Heritage and Inherit the Cultural Heritage of Jingchu, the event aimed to build a bridge of communication between the hearts of young people on both sides of the strait through immersive cultural experiences, city visits and dialogues with nature.

Jingchu Culture Class: A Deep Experience from Fingertips to Taste Buds

        In the intangible cultural heritage laboratory of the Art and Design College of Hubei University of Economics, bamboo strips are deftly manipulated by young people's fingers. Taiwanese students follow the master to learn the traditional weaving techniques of the Chu region, as fine bamboo threads gradually transform into the framework of a fan. The interweaving of warp and weft represents the veins of cultural inheritance, one participant remarked. In the adjacent metal workshop, CNC machines and traditional forging techniques complement each other. Young people focus on polishing metal parts, and the hammering sounds compose a dialogue between ancient and modern artisans.

        In the Chu Cuisine Research Institute, inviting aromas are wafting. National-level skill masters demonstrate the art of making Wuhan doupi (rice noodle rolls) on the spot, from the three kneading and nine shaking technique of hot dry noodles to the three-in-one philosophy of the filling. Taiwanese students personally experience the essence of Chu cuisine. When classic and trendy Chu delicacies such as steamed Wuchang fish, lotus root and pork ribs soup, and garlic shrimp are served at the tasting banquet, the students record these cultural codes on the tip of the tongue - they carry the thousand-year-old wisdom of meticulousness in food from the Yangtze River Basin.

Urban Exploration: Understanding Hubei between History and the Future

        In the chime exhibition hall of Hubei Provincial Museum, the bronze music that has endured for 2,400 years shakes the soul. The ritual and music civilization of 'gongs and drums' becomes tangible and perceptible at this moment, a Taiwanese youth ponders before the bell chimes in Zenghou Yi Tomb. Moving to Hubei Provincial Art Museum, the abstract oil painting Chu Melody sparks heated discussions: How can traditional patterns be rejuvenated through modern expressions?

Wuhan Dreamtime Mall becomes a vivid classroom where tradition and modernity collide. At the Han embroidery intangible cultural heritage booth, young people attempt to stitch their first flower of Chu and Jing; in the lacquerware workshop, the polishing technique of rhinoceros skin lacquer showcases the essence of Eastern aesthetics. The mall transforms into a living cultural exhibition hall, which is an innovative practice of bringing intangible cultural heritage into modern life, said the event organizer.

Landscape as Witness: Forming Cultural Consensus in the Three Gorges 

        The itinerary extended to Yichang Sanxia People's Village. The young people took a boat trip through the Xiling Gorge, and the melodious Huaxia folk songs in front of the stilt houses and the swaying fishing nets on the river formed a flowing picture of the Ba-Chu cultural style. The landscape is the painting, and life is the epic, the Taiwanese leading teacher said during the cultural performance. The cultures on both sides belong to the gift of the Mother River of the Yangtze River.

The Three Gorges Dam, shrouded in a rain curtain, appeared even more magnificent. One young person gazed at the huge flood waves and reflected: Just like the exchanges across the two sides, openness and inclusiveness can gather tremendous power.

        At the closing ceremony, Li Yong, the director of the Hong Kong, Taiwan Affairs Office of Hubei University of Economics, said: We use the Chu culture as a medium, allowing the young people to deepen their emotional connection through joint efforts and sharing. When Taiwanese students bring the Chu gifts back to Taiwan, the cultural seeds have already taken root and sprouted across the strait.

        This activity was built on the basis of the school's key national-level base - the World Skills Competition Culinary Training Base and the Innovation Laboratory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, forming a touchable cultural identity system. As the participants said: This journey enabled us to understand the profound meaning of the character 'Chu': standing tall in the universe and rooted in the fertile soil. This is precisely the code for the continuous continuation of Chinese civilization.