Li Lingwei
Li Qizheng
Gen Zers showed their talent and passion on the stage
By Lyu Weiyi, Zhu Jingning
What does the Asian Games mean to you? What messages does the Games convey to the world? As the highly anticipated event approaches, Hangzhou is calling for the Generation Z newscasters who are enthusiastic for sports and are skilled in foreign languages to jointly report on the Games and about Hangzhou in international perspectives.
Who to stand out as speakers?
On Mar 8, Li Lingwei, a member of the International Olympic Committee, the vice president of the Chinese Olympic Committee and a former world badminton champion, delivered a keynote speech at Hangzhou Normal University titled "Make China Heard on the International Sports Stage" at the first recruitment event for Gen Z Int'l Youth Newscasters for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
"Everyone can be a narrator of Chinese stories, a spreader of Chinese voices, and a contributor of Chinese culture." Li encouraged Gen Z to maintain its individuality while identifying with their own culture. She encouraged them to seize the opportunity to serve in international events like Hangzhou Asian Games and share their experiences and insights with the world.
On the talent show, twenty-one outstanding Chinese and international students from the School of International Studies & School of International Education of Hangzhou Normal University demonstrated their zeal for the Asian Games in English, Japanese, Korean and other languages in diverse ways.
Anthea Shifra from Indonesia, the Best Performance Award winner of the event, who loves shooting vlogs of her daily life, shared the digital life of Hangzhou in her own approach. She sang a song after delivering her English speech and won continuous applauses from the audience.
According to Anthea, there are at least two dozen Indonesian students studying at Hangzhou Normal University. Besides, her 6 years younger brother will come to Hangzhou to study.
"I really look forward to the Games in Hangzhou in September when a lot of fellows from my hometown will come. I can't wait to be the guide for them. Show them around the downtown, taste authentic local foods, and of course, watch a few games!" Anthea was mapping out her plans with joy.
How to tell a good story?
The past six millennia have witnessed the contributions of silk to the livelihood and culture of the Chinese people. On Mar 29, the latest leg of the recruiting event for the Gen Z International Youth Newscasters was held at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, with fifteen creative performances showcasing Gen Z's Interpretation of contemporary silk culture and their expectations for Hangzhou Asian Games.
Li Qizheng, Secretary-General of the International Silk Union, delivered an opening speech on the importance of the Chinese silk culture exchange. The green industry of silk plays a key part in China's rural revitalization by raising mulberry silkworms to reduce carbon. As a symbol of the Eastern fashion, silk is used by numerous international fashion brands as the primary raw material for their high-end products. Silk also plays an essential role in the traditional Chinese culture. On top of others, approximately 100 Chinese idioms and 1,400 Chinese characters are derived from silk craftsmanship.
Students from the School of Foreign Languages Studies last year created a short video about the Chinese silk weaving techniques, ranking the first in the national competition. "The Chinese stories we want to tell are not only the mythical fables and historical stories of China but also the stories of peaceful development and win-win cooperation of the contemporary China. Through Hangzhou Asian Games, we hope to show to the world an open, inclusive, well-mannered, and developing China that adheres to peace and development." One of the creators shared with audience their views.
To a strong rhythmic music, a unique silk fashion show was presented by students majoring in fashion performance. The girls wore elegant cheongsam to represent Gen Z's interpretation of silk with cultural confidence. They were joined by Chen Chen, Cong Cong, and Lian Lian, the mascot trios of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
You are wanted!
Wherever you are in the world, you are invited to join our team of professionals to cover the 19th Asian Games online/offline.
The selected generation Z members will have the opportunity to participate in covering Hangzhou Asian Games, which is to take place this September, under the supervision of media experts in sports news, global news and multimedia production, and so on.
We expect participants to be proficient in using social media. Besides, you are supposed to have excellent English communication skills and preferably speak another Asian language. Technical skills in operating film and audio equipment and editing software are also required.
This event is hosted by the City Express and its English version Hangzhoufeel, jointly guided by the Hangzhou authority and Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee.
If the recruitment interests you, please send your works to Hangzhoufeel@126.com either verbally (in English within 400 words) or with a short video (in English, mp4 format for less than 2 minutes), centering on the theme of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2023. The application admissions will be concluded by May 31, 2023.