HITSZ intl. students embrace Chinese tradition on the field

International students perform a dynamic dragon dance during the opening ceremony of HITSZ's Ninth Track and Field Sports Meeting on Saturday. Photos by Liu Xudong

As the sun rose higher in the sky, the Ninth Track and Field Sports Meeting of the Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen (HITSZ) kicked off with an opening ceremony Nov. 29. The event began at 8 a.m., with performances from teams of students and staff.

“Every team performed so perfectly. It was really amazing,” said Assiya Tukanova, a freshman from the School of Architecture.

One of the standout performances came from the School of Future Studies. A team of 96 students delivered a spectacular show featuring lion and dragon dances performed by the international students, who were accompanied by robotic dogs.

Students from the School of Future Studies perform lion and dragon dances alongside robotic dogs during the opening ceremony of the Ninth Track and Field Sports Meeting of HITSZ on Saturday. Several international students took part in the performance.

With steady steps, the team filed into the center of the track. As they reached their positions, most of the students knelt down, ready to begin. The show started when the leader of the dragon dance began waving the dragon ball. Following the ball’s lead, nine other students maneuvered the dragon from the back of the formation to the front, weaving in a circle around the performance area. 

As they returned to the back, the square of students parted, creating a pathway for the lion dance. At that moment, two student-operated lions, along with two robotic dogs in lion costumes, moved to the center and danced to lively music.

A total of 14 students participated in the lion and dragon dances, seven of whom were from overseas.

Edou Kelly David Adriana of Cameroon (2nd R) and Indonesian student Raya Dhevari Salsabiela (R) interact with the audience following their lion dance performance at HITSZ on Saturday. 

“It was pretty fun!” said Edou Kelly David Adriana, from Cameroon, who performed the lion dance. She laughed as she showed the yellow fur on her hair, a souvenir from the fuzzy costume that had shed during her performance.

“The lion dance is not new to me. We see such performances each year during Chinese New Year in Indonesia,” said Indonesian student Raya Dhevari Salsabiela, who operated the head of one lion.

However, this was her first time experiencing how physically demanding and coordination-heavy the dance is firsthand.

“I had a really good partner. My partner couldn’t see behind me, so she had to rely on my instructions to turn left or right and move forward. We cooperated very well,” Salsabiela explained.

The lion dance is a traditional Chinese art where performers mimic a lion’s movements in an elaborate costume. Similarly, the dragon dance, often seen during festive celebrations, is performed by a team manipulating a long, flexible dragon puppet using poles.

“This is amazing. I plan to continue doing it,” said Aliyev Elman, from Azerbaijan, who was part of the dragon dance team. He mentioned that the team had practiced for over a month, with two sessions per week lasting at least an hour and a half each.

His sentiment was echoed by Tillaboev Ibrohim, who wielded the dragon’s head. “We had a lot of rehearsals. I followed the girl waving the dragon ball, and the other students followed me. At first, we needed a lot of verbal instructions, but after so much practice we didn’t need to talk much. Everyone just knew what to do and when to do it.”

The vibrant display at the HITSZ sports meeting was more than just an opening ceremony performance — it was a powerful cross-cultural exchange. For the international students, it was a chance to move from being spectators to active participants, gaining a deep, hands-on appreciation for the artistry and teamwork embedded in Chinese tradition.

Aliyev Elman (C) from Azerbaijan, Tillaboev Ibrohim (R) from Uzbekistan and Tukanova Assiya from Kazakhstan perform a lion and dragon dance during the opening ceremony of the Ninth Track and Field Sports Meeting at HITSZ on Saturday. 

Students from the School of Future Studies pose for a group photo after their performance at HITSZ on Saturday. 

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