Tianjin University rang in their annual Crabapple Blossom Festival on April 7th.  It was good news for visitors who got to take advantage of the 3-day Qingming festival to enjoy the beautiful flowers. 

Crabapple blossoms in the Weijin Road Campus of Tianjin University  

Tourists made wishes and enjoy crabapple blossoms

The theme of the opening day was “Blossom in the New Era”. Three tour routes were played out based on different features, namely “the journey through innovation”, “the journey through memory” and “the journey of exploration”. Activities including visiting the university history museum and the alumni reception service were also incorporated into the event.  

Visitors were visiting the energy-saving car

The energy-saving car displayed in Peiyang Square was specially designed. Song Cunji, one of the team members introduced that using 1 liter of gasoline offered by the company, the car managed to travel more than 300 kilometers during the race. He explained that team used aluminum to build most of its components, aiming to reduce friction while ensuring stability on the road. They also adjusted the engine to improve efficiency.  

Visitor participate in the technology experience activity “Artificial Intelligence Invites the Future” 

Lots of visitors, especially children, were impressed by the F1 car displayed next to the energy-saving car. “The car is incredible. It is not simply an immature invention but has practical usage”, Hou Haobin, a highway design engineer commented. He also said that his sons were obsessed with scientific exhibitions, especially ones including high-tech cars and 3D printing. He thought that Crabapple Blossom Festival is a great occasion to broaden children’s horizons and reveal to them the mysteries of science. 

Chemistry Experiments demonstrated for aspiring young scientists. 

The second ACS-TJU Chemistry  Festival,  jointly organized by the American Chemical Society and the Health Science Platform of TIanjin University was also held during the Crabapple Blossom Festival. Participants engaged in many interactive demonstrations. The demonstrations showed that chemistry is all around us, everywhere in our daily world! They learned how to use juice from red cabbage to test the pH of water, to see if water was safe to use. They understood how to get sugar and oil to mix, used color to detect ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, and why sunscreen is important. And understood why balloons explode when you poke them on the top, but not on the bottom. There were other interesting things too. And all of them could be understood by non-scientists. With something for adults and children in every demonstration!

Wang Xuezhong Research Institute exhibits painting work to tourists.  

Students from Tianjin No.100 Senior middle school taking a group shot.  

High school students crowded before the booth of admission consulting with their parents and teachers. A representative of the admission office said that most of the students and their parents were interested in major decision. One student from Dong Li Middle School said that he wanted to get admitted to Tianjin University to enjoy the atmosphere here. 

The Crabapple Blossom Festival is a good time for alumni to come back to their alma mater and recall the days of their youth. Alumni can take photos in baccalaureate gowns and take a postcard specifically designed for the Crabapple Blossom. Tian Ye was an undergraduate of the class of 2015. This is the first time he has come back to his alma mater since his graduation. “It feels like coming home” he said: “I can feel Tianjin University always opens its arms to alumni.” He was surprised by the popularity of the Crabapple Blossom festival. “Students here are becoming more innovative, full of ideas. I’m glad to see that through this festival, more and more people find out about and develop an interest in the university. I hope it can be better and better every year.” 

Peiyang Art Troupe performing in front of an audience. 

Tourists participating in interactive games. 

There are about 30,000 visitors to the Tianjin Weijin Road Campus and the Peiyang Park Campus each year to experience the culture of Tianjin University and nature’s bounty. Youthful students and the Crabapple blossoms complement each other and share in the “blooming”. 

By: Qiu Ya, Chen Shupei, Wei Shanshan, Zhang Saiya, Zhang Xuan

Photo: Ma Zhou and Chen Jianze

Editors: Qin Mian and Keith Harrington