From April 21 to 28, 2025, CCM FUSION · Reimagination was grandly held at Memory Cafe and Shiguangshuwu. This year, we not only continued the theme of "Fusion" but also incorporated "Reimagination" as the core concept, to explore new possibilities of "Fusion" in depth. "Reimagination" means breaking and reconstructing. It signifies collision and symbiosis as well.

Opening Ceremony of CCM FUSION 2025

For this opening ceremony, we were honored to have a number of industry guests and on-campus guests in attendance, including:

Ms. Liu Jinhua, a paper-cutting artist whose works have been selected as national gifts for the "Belt and Road Initiative";

Ms. Zhuo Yijun, President of Zhuhai Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Association;

Ms. Zhu Wanxia, Member of the Incense Culture Professional Committee under the China Traditional Culture Promotion Association.

In addition, guests from BNBU also joined the event, such as Mr. Dai Zhenwei (Chief Financial Officer of the university), Associate Professor Chen Huiyun (Director of the Centre of Teaching and Learning), Ms. Zhan Fengying (Librarian), Associate Professor Geuntae Park (Assistant Dean of the School of Culture and Creativity), Associate Professor Yuan Yuan (Head of the Department of Cultural Creativity and Design), Associate Professor Purrie NG Pui-Yee  (Instructor of Cultural and Creative and Management), Associate Professor Wang Xi (Instructor of Cultural and Creative and Management), Assistant Professor Iceman LEUNG Hoi Yung (Instructor of Cultural and Creative and Management), and Ms. KK Wan Wanqi (Supervisor of the Annual Exhibition). Teachers and students from various schools also gathered together on this occasion.

Different from last year, we have chosen to innovate the traditional cultural ritual of "dragon and lion eye-dotting" this year – activating luminous dragons and lions with innovative ideas to kick off the prelude of FUSION's reconstruction. After the host shouts "Innovative Eye-Dotting, Fusion for Rebirth", all the guests present jointly said "CCM — Forever!" As the lions' eyes light up, the legacy of the lion heads lives on.

Guests, led by the dragons and lions, proceeded to the Boshui platform to enjoy the performances of luminous dragons and lions as well as the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) fire art. As night fell, the entire open area was suddenly illuminated by the golden and red sparks bursting forth. Immediately after, the fluorescent dragon and lion dances took the stage, where light and shadow intertwined, and colorful lights dazzled brilliantly.

Highlights of CCM FUSION 2025 Exhibition

This year, the CCM Annual Exhibition team takes "reimagination" as its guiding theme, breaking the boundaries of tradition through the five senses! The Oath of Brotherhood by Liu, Guan, and Zhang at the Peach Orchard – on loan from Zhuhai Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Association – is the final masterpiece by Shi Jinxin, a veteran Foshan lion-head crafting artist, as well as the centerpiece showcasing traditional lion dance culture at this exhibition.

Sight Aspect: Your Perspective Shapes Tradition’s Future

In "Dream Core – Fusion and Reconstruction" by Ms. Fu Sudingdian, the traditional lion head is reimagined with "cute-style genes." Transforming the classic lion head into a trendy toy, this work proves that intangible cultural heritage (ICH) can also "break through dimensions."

The student team (Li Yingyan, Li Yiwen, Chen Ziye) integrates real campus scenes with the culture of the awakened lion in their work Resonance of the Awakened Lion, using technological power to breathe new life into intangible cultural heritage (ICH). Through particle effects, the work presents the stunning visual spectacle of a mighty lion leaping, amid the collision of tradition and innovation, it pays tribute to the BNBU 20th anniversary.

Mr. Kuang Zhiwen's “Resplendent Dancing Lion” was taking "The awakened lion kindles the national spirit" as its subtle undercurrent, Mr. Kuang Zhiwen’s work uses the lion’s upright and vibrant posture as a metaphor for the nation’s spirit of self-strengthening. It unfolds the intertwined beauty of the historical accumulation of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and the renewed vitality of culture.

Ms. Liu Jinhua presents "Common Prosperity" – a work that integrates traditional paper-cutting craftsmanship with modern design concepts. It showcases the vitality of the awakened lion in the new era, inheriting the cultures of paper-cutting and the awakened lion while daring to innovate.

Hearing Aspect: Scan the QR Code to Awaken the War Drums – Your Phone Becomes a Gong and Cymbal

Taste Aspect: Using Its Unique Flavor as a Brush, It Paints a Vivid Portrait of the Exhibition's Philosophy on the Tongue

Touch Aspect: Touch the Lion Head, and Worry No More

Smell Aspect: Blend a Custom Scent, and "Carry the Power of the Awakened Lion in Your Pocket"

Ms. Zhu Wanxia, inheritor of traditional Chinese incense culture, visited to guide the awakened lion sachet DIY workshop, leading students to experience the inheritance of craftsmanship in intangible cultural heritage (ICH) techniques.

CCM FUSION 2025 Closing Ceremony: Guishan Concert

As the drumbeats faded and the lion heads gently lowered, a ceremony of farewell and new beginnings was frozen in light and shadow. On the evening of April 28th, CCM FUSION 2025, titled "Guishan" (Return to the Mountains), brought the annual exhibition to a close with the traditional ritual of the awakened lion. Moreover, it used music and performances to pave a path for graduates—one that leads back to their original aspirations and onward to the vast horizons ahead. This concert is not only a contemporary echo of traditional culture but also a passionate symphony of youth and the future.

Drums resounded sonorously and string notes flowed. The traditional awakened lion raised its head and leaped as cinnabar was dotted on its eyes. Modern dance moves deconstructed classics with strength, while singing voices, soft as whispers, touched the heartstrings. Folk music surged to play the echoing sounds of a thousand years, and theatrical dynamics outlined the myriad scenes of life. When the solo dancer completed the "Guishan (Return to the Mountains)" ritual with graceful movements, an artistic dialogue spanning time and space concluded perfectly amid the interweaving of light and shadow. The annual exhibition’s final chapter was marked by “My Future Style” performed by CCM’s senior-year graduates, with lyrics that rang out: "My future is in my own hands, my non-stop dream accelerates straight ahead, running on the map I drew."

CCM FUSION 2025 "Fusion · Reconstruction" Annual Exhibition Series has successfully concluded. From the stunning debut of the fire-art luminous dragon and lion dance at the opening ceremony, to the wonderful collision of tradition and innovation in the exhibition, and then to the heartfelt farewell at the "Guishan (Return to the Mountains)" concert, we have injected new vitality into intangible cultural heritage (ICH) with creativity and fulfilled the mission of cultural inheritance with professionalism. A special thank you goes to all guests and audiences for their participation and interaction—your enthusiasm has made this cultural feast even more brilliant. Fusion never stops, and reconstruction continues. We look forward to exploring the boundless possibilities of cultural innovation with you in the future!

Text: Zheng Yingzi, Yu Minzhen

Images: Annual Exhibition Team of the Cultural, Creativity and Management Major

Editing: Wan Wanqi, Xiao Yao