As spring lingers, the foliage thrives. With the gentle spring breeze, all things are renewed. On April 5, 2024, the “Tianjin University Crabapple Blossom Festival” campus open day event was held at both Weijin Road Campus and Peiyangyuan Campus of Tianjin University. About 60,000 people, including students, staff, alumni, city residents, and tourists from different parts of China gathered to attend the event at Tianjin University.
Spring heralds the finest season, particularly when returning to Tianjin University to admire the crabapples. The theme of the 2024 “Tianjin University Crabapple Blossom Festival” is “Reunion at a Blooming Season”. The event emphasizes the importance of cultural enrichment, benefits the populace and enriches the city. On the open day event, over sixty themed activities were organized by various schools, departments, and student societies, inviting citizens to partake in the springtime beauty of Tianjin University and immerse themselves in experiencing the culture of the centennial institution.
At Peiyang Square on the Weijin Road Campus, the Emerging Engineering Education Center hosted an event titled “Embarking Anew, Innovating the Future: Tianjin University Project-Based Learning Exhibition.” Teachers and students from over 10 engineering schools showcased the results of their project-based learning and independent research projects. This innovative approach to education transcends traditional boundaries, but fosters students’ comprehensive innovation abilities and engineering acumen. Professor Liu Yingshu from the School of Electrical Automation and Information Engineering explained, “Breaking away from traditional course and disciplinary constraints, the emerging engineering education model aims to seamlessly integrate specialized knowledge.” The event also included engaging activities for high school students, such as fun trivia quizzes, “infrared sensing tracking cars” assembling, and “dougong” brackets constructing. These activities not only enriched their knowledge but provided hands-on experience in engineering practices.
Simultaneously, the Tianjin University Admissions Office organized a vibrant campus open day themed “Pursuing Dreams at Tianjin University”. The event featured interactive activities such as quizzes, relay games, and prize competitions, offering consultation services and introducing admissions policies and majors to middle school students, parents, and teachers. Nearly 300 students and teachers from seven schools, including Nankai Middle School, Yaohua Middle School, and Tianjin No.1 High School, were invited to explore Tianjin University. They visited popular science destinations such as Medical School, the School of Life Sciences, the School of Precision Instruments and Optoelectronic Engineering, and the School of Electrical Automation and Information Engineering, delving into the marvels and mysteries of emerging engineering education, experiencing the vibrant campus culture. These activities guide middle school students to ignite their passion for subjects and chart their future paths.
In front of the library, the “Charm of Crabapple” open-air watercolor painting class provided Tianjin University students and visitors with a close-up encounter with watercolor culture and craftsmanship. Through sketching sessions, participants were guided to observe natural still life more keenly and to create works with vibrant hues and lifelike forms, thereby enhancing their professional skills and artistic refinement. This initiative aimed to cultivate a more captivating and artistic environment with Tianjin University's distinctive characteristics, enriching the cultural ambiance in the context of emerging engineering education.
In the plaza outside the Fine Brush and Color Research Institute, amidst the blossoming crabapples and fragrant lilacs, the Pocket Gallery hosts an exhibition titled “Flowers and Art: A Collection of Historic Crabapple Paintings.” This exhibition, displayed in a public space, offers a timeless aesthetic experience that transcends eras. Faculty and students from the institute guide visitors in appreciating these masterpieces featuring crabapples from different eras and fostering a collective appreciation for classic art.
At the Tianjin University Campus Construction Chronicle and Catalog Release Ceremony and Book Fair, the Tianjin University Chronicle: Campus Construction Volume and Tianjin University Campus Construction Catalog were officially unveiled. These researched works, the culmination of years of accumulation and research, follow the publication of the Tianjin University Chronicle: Comprehensive Volume, marking the release of another series of campus chronicles. These works are detailed and authoritative, rich in content, visually appealing, combine campus landscapes and architectural data and showcase the University’s developmental history and cultural innovation.
Several scientific and popular science bases at Tianjin University, including the Brain-Machine Interface Science Popularization Base at the Medical School, Tianjin Scientific Educator Base—Tianjin University “Path to Medical Excellence” Theme Education Hall, the Biological Science Popularization Education Base, the National Key Laboratory of Precision Testing Technology and Instruments, the Smart Machine Science Popularization Base, the Smart Grid Science Popularization Base, the Architectural History and Heritage Conservation Science Popularization Base, and the Metrology Science Popularization Base, were opened to the public in an orderly manner. Through a variety of engaging activities, visitors had the opportunity to deepen their scientific and cultural knowledge while enjoying the beauty of the flowers and surroundings. They also gained insights into Tianjin University’s scientific achievements and experienced the allure of technological innovation.
The Peiyang Choir delivered a stirring performance of nine tracks, including renditions of Sing Gently, All ways and always, and Hope, Faith, Life, and Love. The Peiyang Symphony Orchestra presented a moving rendition of the classic piece Declaration of Love. The Peiyang Military Band impressed with their rendition of the wind ensemble May Suite. The Peiyang Folk Orchestra captivated the audience with their percussion duet Bull vs. Tiger and other pieces. And the Street Dance Club members presented enthusiastic dance performances. These captivating performances, spanning music, dance, painting, and seal cutting, provided a delightful and culturally enriching experience for faculty, students, alumni, and citizens alike during the Crabapple Blossom Festival.
At the Peiyangyuan Campus, the courtyard of Zheng Dong Library was bustling with excitement, as kites depicting soaring eagles, fluttering butterflies, and auspicious symbols like goldfish and peonies filled the sky. The “Yan Zhao Fei Yuan” kite exhibition was underway, showcasing works crafted by students from Tianjin University advanced kite-making workshop. These kites, with their exquisite designs and profound cultural significance, embody the rich tradition of Chinese folk artistry.
Simultaneously, the Tianjin University Achievements Exhibition titled “Our Past Decade”, combining photographs, videos, and physical exhibits, presented a comprehensive and immersive display of the University’s significant accomplishments. The Exhibition vividly illustrated the University’s commitment to exploration and innovation, captivating the attention of visitors.
As two towering gates, each standing 24 meters high, slowly parted, visitors were greeted with a glimpse inside the National Earthquake Engineering Simulation Research Facility Experimental Center. Captivated by the sight, visitors eagerly reached for their phones to capture the moment. Serving as Tianjin’s inaugural national major scientific infrastructure, the National Earthquake Engineering Simulation Research Facility bears the critical responsibility and noble mission of addressing major scientific challenges for the nation. “Our large vibration platform, measuring 20 meters in length and 16 meters in width, can support up to 1350 tons...” explained the facility instructors, who provided visitors with a detailed overview of the facility’s construction and unveiled the mysteries of the earthquake simulator. “Look, this is one of our nation’s remarkable scientific instruments!” Visitors listened intently, engaging in enthusiastic discussions.
At Tailei Square, the National Science Popularization Education Base of the School of Chemical Engineering hosted three engaging activities: “Enjoying the Beauty of Crabapple, Brewing Crabapple Wine,” “The Ten-Mile Crabapple Belt of Peiyang, A Hundred Kinds of Microbes under the Mirror,” and “iGEM and Synthetic Biology.” These activities offered insightful explanations on brewing, microbiology, and synthetic biology. Furthermore, the National Science Popularization Bases for Internal Combustion Power, Hot Science for Youth, “The Magic of Flow” Fluid Mechanics Science Popularization Bases, Youth Mechanical Engineering Science Popularization Bases, Intelligent Connected Vehicles Science Popularization Bases, and Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing Science Popularization Bases played pivotal roles in science popularization, and conducted a myriad of intriguing and enlightening activities. These efforts aimed to bring science closer to the public, enhance their understanding of scientific principles, and foster a genuine appreciation for innovation and discovery.
This year, alongside the traditional offline campus visit reservations, Tianjin University also conducted a series of online live streaming activities on platforms such as official Weibo, WeChat video accounts, Douyin, Bilibili, Facebook, and Instagram during the Open Day. Among these, a highlight will be the “Gathering around the Stove to Brew Tea and Discuss Integration,” a high-end dialogue between academicians and scholars, alongside a special live broadcast of the Crabapple Blossom Festival. This digital initiative invites a diverse audience to enjoy the blooming crabapple together in the virtual world. Hosts elegantly navigated the campus adorned with crabapple blossoms, narrating tales of Tianjin University’s rich history and showcasing its aesthetic charm, while academicians and experts engaged in discussions ranging from interdisciplinary integration to the educational journey of young scholars within the live broadcast forum. In this inaugural year of China’s educational development campaign, Tianjin University’s scholars explore academic, integrative, and developmental aspects, offering insights into talent cultivation for the future and contributing to the university’s vision of becoming a world-class institution. Concurrently, CCTV News will broadcast Tianjin University Crabapple Blossom Festival, with over a million viewers expected to join the annual floral celebration online.
This year, the peak viewing period for crabapple blossom at Tianjin University is anticipated in early April. The Weijin Road Campus boasts over 800 crabapple blossom trees, predominantly lining both sides of Mingde Road. Alongside the fragrant Xifu crabapple blossoms, visitors will also delight in the pear crabapples, attached stalk crabapples, and drooping silk crabapples, as well as rare varieties such as golden honey and Naiweili. Meanwhile, the Peiyangyuan Campus showcases a stunning array of crabapples, notably on the north bank of the central island’s Cherry Blossom Bank, featuring over 1300 crabapple trees of 16 varieties, including Xifu crabapple, drooping silk crabapple, pear crabapple, ruby crabapple, royal crabapple, flame crabapple, and spring snow crabapple. During the “Crabapple Blossom Festival” activities, Tianjin University will host a limited campus opening from April 4 to 10, with a special campus open day on April 5 with various activities. Alumni can apply for campus visits with their “Alumni Card,” while citizens and tourists can reserve their visits via the “Tianjin University Crabapple Blossom Festival” campus visit reservation system. This 7-day reservation period allows students’ parents, alumni, and citizens to choose a convenient time to visit the campus, offering them a unique opportunity to experience the beauty and charm of Tianjin University in spring.
By Xie Qingyue
Editor: Sun Xiaofang
