Understanding and adapting to the local culture is one of the key factors for success in international business. The Economics and Management School develops cross-cultural competencies to facilitate international transactions and cooperation for international students. On July 10th, a total of 10 international students, both from the Economics and Management School and the School of International Education, set off to visit the Panlong City Ruins Museum, aiming to get a deeper understanding of Chinese civilization and the origin of Wuhan. They are international undergraduate students majored in Economics and Management, or graduate international students from the program of Master of International Business, from Bangladesh, Ghana, Indonesia, Laos, Russia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan, Vietnam.

Panlong City Ruins is located in Huangpi District, Wuhan City. It is a known city site of the early Shang Dynasty with a clear layout and rich relics in the Yangtze River Basin. By visiting the ruins of Panlong City, international students can experience and understand the Shang Dynasty culture in the Yangtze River Basin, witness the important historical process of the integrated development of the Yangtze River Basin and the Central Plains, and understand the development and evolution of Chinese culture, which is also conducive to promoting Chinese culture and history, and promoting cultural exchanges and integration between China and foreign countries.

The Panlong City Ruins Museum has three exhibition halls. The first exhibition hall mainly introduces the discovery of the ruins of Panlong City, the history of archaeological work and the development history of Wuhan city, and explains why Panlong City is called "the root of Wuhan city", so that international students from different countries can understand the development and evolution of Chinese culture and strengthen their understanding and respect for Chinese culture. The second exhibition hall tells the vicissitudes of the Panlong City ruins in accordance with the time context of the initial prosperity, prosperity and sustainable development, and presents the daily scenes of the ancestors of Panlong City from the aspects of life, production and architecture through cultural relics, artworks, multimedia, scene restoration and other means. Through visiting the exhibition, international students learned about the huge difference in quantity and quality between the nobles and commoners and slaves, and discussed the distribution of limited resources among different social strata from an economic perspective. The students learned about the economic model and business activities of the Shang Dynasty, and witnessed the rise and fall of the Shang Dynasty's economy. Economic models from different cultural backgrounds also can broaden the global perspective of International Business students. Based on the entire Xia and Shang Dynasty, the third exhibition hall introduces the background of the historical period in which Panlong City is located, sorts out the exchange and integration of Panlong City with other cultures and cities, and reflects its status as the Shang Dynasty. The rise and fall of a city in the context of the times can inspire students to think about how a country's economy develops in the global context of the modern economy.

The event was jointly organized by the School of International Education and the School of Economics and Management, through which students from different countries and majors enriched their understanding of Chinese civilization and culture, and promoted the exchange and collision of Chinese and foreign cultures. Students all felt enriched and inspired by the journey with a unique and immersive glimpse into China's ancient history and cultural heritage. It is important for international students to understand the historical background of different countries and regions for business practice. Understanding the history of business activities and trade in Panlong City helps international students better understand the development of China's business culture.

Edited by Chaity Hazara Binta Shuruj, JIANG Jiahui

        Reviewed by LIU Cheng, GUO Lin