Kunshan, China – August 22
On August 22, With joint support from the DKU Athletics Department, the DKU Community-Based Learning (CBL) team, the Huzhou Wushu Bingdao Association, and the DKU Wushu Bingdao Club, teachers and students from Yacun Middle School in Huzhou, as well as students and parents from the Tinglin Social Work Station in Kunshan, visited the Duke Kunshan University campus. Centered on Wushu as a common bond, the event sought to carry forward traditional culture, foster young people’s understanding and appreciation of martial arts, and build a shared platform for cultural exchange between schools and communities.
As a Wushu Bingdao specialty school in Huzhou, Yacun Middle School has a strong martial arts tradition and has previously collaborated with DKU Athletics. This time, more than 40 of its teachers and students came to DKU to take part in a rich series of martial arts activities—including demonstrations, practice, exchange, and friendly competitions—deepening their mutual understanding with every move.
The event also welcomed more than 30 students and parents from the Community-Based Learning Team Kunshan, along with over 20 DKU students. Through these exchanges, participants not only strengthened their appreciation of Chinese culture, but also infused Wushu with new international dimensions, while most importantly building a platform for young people from diverse backgrounds to connect and foster mutual trust.
The DKU Wushu Bingdao Club opened the event with a warm welcome, followed by a collaborative short-weapons performance alongside professional athletes from the Huzhou Wushu Bingdao Association. In the group sessions, students from different backgrounds were mixed into teams and, under the guidance of DKU club members and professional athletes, practiced offensive and defensive techniques while learning from one another. The program reached its climax with a mixed-age Wushu Bingdao relay competition, during which Coach Shi from the Huzhou professional team provided technical instruction, officiated matches, and commended the students for their enthusiastic participation.
A representative from Yacun Middle School shared: “We hope to use Wushu Bingdao as a medium to strengthen our ties with DKU, further expand collaboration with universities, and in doing so inspire our students—helping them step onto a broader international stage at an earlier age.”
Students also expressed their reflections after the event. One student from Yacun Middle School remarked: “During the group practice, we not only improved our skills through sparring, but also built deeper bonds with DKU students through our exchanges.”
The president of the DKU Wushu Bingdao Club added: “The competitive segment was truly meaningful. I could feel the students’ passion and growth under my guidance, which gave me a strong sense of accomplishment and pride. It also allowed me to experience the joy of teaching and learning from one another.”
A staff member from the Tinglin Social Work Station, one of the co-organizers, also noted: “Events like this, with martial arts as the connecting thread, not only build bridges between communities and universities but also help young people better understand and appreciate traditional Chinese culture.”
DKU Wushu Senior Instructor Quanwei Yan concluded: “This short-weapons exchange was not only a contest of skills but also a bridge of emotion and culture. Its success has breathed new vitality into Chinese martial arts through youth exchanges, while also bringing closer together students and communities from Kunshan, Huzhou, and DKU.”
Graphic Design | Aeryn Bernarn
Photo | 黄一敖 Ryex
Layout | 芮思琦 Siqi 丁士森 Shisen
Review | 晏全伟 Quanwei 安康 Tony
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