Shanghai Jiao Tong University celebrates 130th anniversary with illumination ceremony

A lighting ceremony, as part of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's 130th-anniversary celebrations, was held at Shanghai's iconic Yuyuan Garden on Monday, the first day of the new academic term.

The event marked a vibrant fusion of the university's rich heritage and the cultural elegance of the 700-year-old Yuyuan Garden, blending the traditional lantern art, an item of intangible cultural heritage, with modern scientific and technological innovation.

During the ceremony, representatives from the university jointly activated the lighting installation with the university emblem and the 130th-anniversary theme logo, attracting onlookers to pause and take photos.

Technology also played a role in this traditional lantern display, with humanoid robots greeting the audience and a voice-interactive robot serving as a cultural guide.

Samy Kaci, an Algerian student pursuing a PhD at the university, remarked on the importance of tradition and cultural heritage in Chinese society, especially as the Lantern Festival approaches.

"This celebration provides us foreigners with a wonderful opportunity to understand what unites the Chinese people and to better integrate into Chinese society," he said, who also expressed his desire to understand the cultural foundations of the city and the country beyond his scientific pursuits.