On October 27, 2017, TJU held a ceremony for the establishment of its 24 Solar Terms Drum team, which was founded by Malaysian student Lou Xiangyi. Chen Zhihua, Dean of TJU School of Education and Zheng Zhou, Deputy Secretary of the 24 Solar Terms Drum Association in Malaysia, attended the ceremony. Zheng Zhou was appointed as the team coach. At the end of the ceremony, the team made its first public performance, and received warm applause from teachers and students. “At present, most of the team members are Malaysian students studying in Tianjin University. We expect to recruit more international and Chinese students in the future so as to bolster cultural exchanges,” said Lou Xiangyi, the founder of the team.

The 24 Solar Terms Drum performance was conceived by Malaysian musician Chen Huichong and poet Chen Zhaofan together in 1988. Combining the features of Guangdong lion drums and traditional Chinese calligraphy, the 24 Solar Terms Drum performances are often grand and inspiring. In 2009, the piece was listed as Malaysia’s national intangible cultural heritage.

By Gong Yiwei & Song Xuechen

Editors: Yin Wei & Doris Harrington