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On October 27, 27 international students from Zhejiang International Studies University and their teachers visited the Zhejiang Digital Culture International Cooperation Zone, a National Cultural Export Base (hereafter, the cooperation zone). They also conducted visits and exchange activities at the cooperation zone's leading company, Zoland Animation, as well as Zoland Tika.
These international students come from the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Russia, South Korea, Spain, and Vietnam, and they are passionate about Chinese culture and Chinese language learning. Yuliang Shen, Deputy Office Director of the Work Leading Group of Zhejiang Digital Culture International Cooperation Zone, and Feng Jiang, the General Manager of Zoland Tikka, warmly welcomed and accompanied them. Xuefeng Mei, the Executive President of the School of International Business, Zhejiang International Studies University and the President of the International Business Research Institute; Xiaoming Gu, the Vice Secretary of the CPC Committee and Secretary of the CPC Discipline Inspection; Qiu Chang, Nan Mi, teaching staff of the International School; and Yang Yang, the advisor of the International School, participated in the communication.
Guided by the docent, teachers and students visited Zoland Animation's exhibition hall and learned about its development history, content creation, business model, and notable achievements in digital technology innovation. In the exhibition hall, with its original animation titles including Magic Eye, Rubi & Yoyo, Zheng He’s Voyage to the West, and Legendary Su Dongpo, and its achievements in animation production, digital translation, overseas distribution, and copyright protection, Zoland Animation gave teachers and students a direct representation of the development of Chinese animation and its practice of overseas distribution of digital content. Teachers and students also experienced reality-enhanced interactive games and immersive virtual dynamic scenes.
After this, teachers and students visited Zoland Tika and experienced its AI Animation Chinese Language School Platform. This platform offers a pioneering model that combines animated IPs, AI-powered games, and international Chinese language education. By integrating Chinese character learning and speaking practice with rhythm games and animated scenes, the platform makes Chinese language learning as easy and enjoyable as playing games. The comprehensive courseware powered by TIKA-LLM and customised learning schedules, as well as the AI grading tool, smart marketing tool, competitions and Chinese language corner, enable overseas Chinese language teachers to use a one-stop SaaS service and open their online Chinese language school with one click. Additionally, this platform offers teachers eight basic Chinese language lessons and a full-period teaching service, aiming to empower teachers and bring the joy of learning Chinese to the world. Currently, the Hanbound app has been released on the App Store and Google Play.
“It’s so interesting!” At the venue, international students experienced the “Thousand- Sentence Game” provided by the platform in groups and competed for the highest scores. Following the rhythm, students learned to say “hello”, “hello everyone”, and “hello, you guys”. While the sentences were unfamiliar to them at the beginning, through the games, students found it easier to grasp them. For these international students, such an experience was not unique, but it also encouraged them to speak aloud.
In the communication, when asked, “Which IPs do you believe can be distributed in your hometown?”, a Russian student mentioned that Yimo is very lovely and is suitable for distribution in Russia. Russian children will love this “IP + games” format. Moreover, some participants put forward the idea of fostering the first batch of international students to become ambassadors for Chinese language learning or presidents of online Chinese language schools. They believed international students should not only learn Chinese but also become communicators of Chinese culture.
“There are many Chinese language learners, but very few of them dare to speak and can keep learning,” said Feng Jiang, the General Manager of Zoland Tika. According to him, this platform aims to make Chinese language learning easier with animation, benefiting global Chinese language education and cultural communication.
From visiting the enterprise exhibition hall to experiencing the AI Animation Chinese Language School Platform, teachers and students gained an immersive experience in the development of Chinese animation IPs and innovative practices in the digital culture distribution of the cooperation zone enterprise. For these 27 international students, this is not only a field visit to a leading animation company, but also a live experience in learning the Chinese language in a real-world context. Through practising oral Chinese in games and reflecting on their previous experience in the real-world context, they gained hands-on experience in the new method of learning Chinese and became potential participants in promoting Chinese language learning in the future.
By integrating Chinese animation IPs with AI and using game-based design to inform Chinese language education, Chinese traditional culture is connecting with the world more energetically and playfully.
In the future, building on the National Cultural Expo base, the cooperation zone will further support companies in the cooperation zone, including Zoland Animation and Zoland Tika, enabling them to promote the deep integration of animation, education, and overseas distribution using their content and technology expertise. With such a solid foundation, it aims to enable more overseas learners to understand China and Chinese learning, promoting cultural export and international cultural communication.