The inaugural Orchid Awards ceremony, initiated by China International Communications Group (CICG), was held at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse (DSG) in Beijing. Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the ceremony and delivered an opening speech. The awards go to10 international friends including Joseph W. Polisi, an American music educator and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, who received the Lifetime Honorary Award, Essam Sharaf, former prime minister of Egypt, who received the Outstanding Achievement Award, and Flora Botton Beja, a Mexican sinologist, who received the Outstanding Achievement Award.

More than 300 participants attended the event. They are either members from relevant central government departments, international organizations, diplomatic envoys, or representatives from think tank sand media institutions. Representatives from HQU new media studio, “Voice of Overseas Students” attended the awarding ceremony following the lead of Lin Hongyu, Vice President of Huaqiao University (HQU).

The Orchid Awards, part of the China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative, aims to reward international friends who have made outstanding contributions to promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and other civilizations.

In recent years, the HQU new media studio has been tapping in the abundant resources of the school and the outstanding members from the studio, mainly the “Gen Z”,who have excelled in telling China stories well and disseminating Chinese culture widely. Among the studio’s most streamed videos, “Xi’s Quotes” co-produced with People’s Daily Online has been well received at home and abroad, so is “Follow me on the Belt and Road Route”, series of stories filmed in Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Pakistan, and Angola.The serial short-videos “A Glimpse of Chinese Civilization on the Central Plains”, produced in cooperation with Henan TV, set a record of 200 million views. In addition, works from the studio have also won awards in a number of international competitions, such as the“Youth on the Silk Road” Global Photography and Micro-video Competition hosted by China Daily and the “Youth on the Silk Road” Short Video Contest organized by CRI Online of China Media Group. Until now, the studio has already blazed a new trail of international communication starting from spontaneous and independent creation, official media publicity, to Chinese story telling by overseas students.

The Awarding Ceremony of the Inaugural Orchid Awards in Beijing

Serial short videos “Xi’s Quotes” co-producedby HQU New Media Studio and People’s Daily Online

(Editor: Wei Linying)