Although the centenary celebration of Xiamen University has come to an end, the wonderful ceremony recalled as if it were still yesterday. Today, we invited Li Huangrong, who had the honor to participate in the performance of the performance team for the centenary celebration, to walk behind the scenes and walk into his unique memories of the celebration.

[Profile] Li Huangrong, a 2019 “3+2” master program student who majored in Global Trade and Business (GTB) of International College, loves music and singing. He has participated in the Top Ten Singers Competition of Xiamen University. He is optimistic, positive, responsible, has a team spirit, lively and cheerful. He participated in the performance of several pieces of music such as, "Rainbow", recitation of "2963", "school anthem", "Continuous Self-improvement", "Traveler", "Relocated in Changting", "Dear Traveler", "Gathering in the Beautiful Campus" and many other programs at the XMU Centenary Gala.

Choose International College to Study

I came to the International College because I really want to go abroad to see the outside world. I don’t want to let life go plainly. I want to take advantage of my youth to realize my dream. My family also respects and supports my choice. After comparison, I chose to come to International College of Xiamen University, which has more than ten years of experience in running a school.

Advantages and Features of International College

Compared with the traditional education system, I think International College offers another possibility. It is different from the traditional teaching model that focuses on knowledge transfer. Instead, it combines Chinese and Western educational concepts, focusing on the development of personality and cultivation of individuality. The independent ability of students gives students enough space to find their interests. Another is that the English teaching of International College has a unique and effective system, focusing on the cultivation of our oral English expression ability, so that we can communicate naturally and smoothly when talking with foreign friends, and lay a good language foundation for going abroad.

Sign up for the XMU Centenary Performance

When I came to Xiamen University, I always hope that I can be more influenced by humanistic spirit and participate in more activities to enrich my campus life. When I learned about the recruitment of actors for the Centenary Celebration of Xiamen University, I was very excited, thinking that I must do my best to join the performance team. Finally, with my love for music and singing skills, I successfully became a member of the singing team.

Sweat and Joy during Rehearsals

Once the winter vacation started on January 10th, our rehearsals began. In the first half of the month, we met various teachers and directors, learning new songs prepared for the school celebration day after day, using different ways of vocalization for practice. Although the practice process was tough, the school was kind enough to prepare snacks for us to relieve fatigue during rehearsals.

Later, the Siming journey we were looking forward to finally came.  And the rehearsal was even more tense. We recorded almost every day until the next early morning, and then returned from Siming to Xiang'an. What impressed me most was that it was almost 2:30 in the morning when we finished recording the song "We are all dream catchers", on the way back to Xiang’an Campus, everyone was very tired and slept in the car together. Nevertheless, with the company of each other, everyone's heart was full of strength, and the feelings gradually warmed up at this time.

Recording at the concert hall until 2:10 in the morning, when the recording teacher said yes, everyone's face was full of joy.

Hard Rehearsal

Immediately after the winter vacation, we began to rehearse physically in the Shangxian field in front of the Jian’nan Complex. From that moment on, I understood that going back and forth to Siming campus was an ordinary thing. At this time, we constantly adjust the sound effects, modify the director's opinions, improve the overall stage effects, adjust every action, and carry out repeated rehearsals. This process continued every day, accompanied by our daily rehearsal time. Sometimes, even in the early morning, we were still revising the actions and preparing for the upcoming show. Through hard rehearsals day by day, we finally ushered in the "first rehearsal for the centenary celebration" that we have been waiting for, witnessed the charm of this stage and made us full of expectation for the next real performance.

Excitement and Joy during the Performance

Before the performance, we had to go to the Fengyu Gymnasium to make up. As soon as we entered the gymnasium, we saw nearly 150 makeup artists gathered together, spreading all kinds of cosmetics on five nearly 10-meter-long make-up tables， ready to help us make up one by one. When it was my turn to do make-up, the teacher said, "I will draw you an eyeliner? I think you must look great! Would you like to try it?" As expected, I didn't hesitate to let her show off on my face. In the end, I realized that I was the only boy who drew the eyeliner!

During the official performance, we  could see that the big figures who did not come in the rehearsal appear, and they were gradually coming into our eyes, Lin Feng, Ayouduo, Zhang Ye...How could we control our excitement at this time? But we understand that it was the last performance. Everyone controlled themselves and devoted themselves to the final performance. From the opening program "Rainbow", the recitation of "2963", the school anthem "Continuous Self-Improvement", the "Traveler" towards the future, to "Relocate to Changting " with Principal Sa Bendong, to the ending "Dear Traveler" and the final chorus "Gathering in the Beautiful Campus", we earnestly walked through the journey of one hundred years on the stage, and truly felt the history of Xiamen University's hundred years of struggle, hard work, and brilliance.

The group photo of Xiang’an singing team at the end of Xiamen University’s Centenary Party on April 6, 2021

Future Plans and Prospects

Participating in this school celebration performance made me really feel the inheritance of Xiamen University from generation to generation. This experience will be a rare and beautiful memory in my life. I am very fortunate that I am a student of Xiamen University and I am fortunate to spend the centenary celebration together with Xiamen University.

The next plan is to strive to enrich and improve yourself, and strive to achieve my short-term and long-term goals with a spirit of self-improvement. Take the IELTS test well, study the professional courses well, get the OFFER from foreign colleges and universities, and then hope to come back to take the postgraduate entrance examination of Xiamen University, and strive to get a master's degree with excellent result which is the glory of being a XMUer. Believe in myself!