Research on the Function of Ancient Poetry Culture in Realizing the

Internationalization of Education in China

Wansu Ma

Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong, China

Keywords: Chinese Traditional Culture, Teaching Methods, Educational Function.

Abstract: How to promote traditional culture, and how to achieve international education of traditional culture have

received widespread attention. However, current research and exploration on these issues are not deep enough.

This article will focus on these issues and attempt to analyze the role of ancient poetry culture in achieving

educational internationalization in China. Through comparative research on various papers, it is analyzed that

accelerating the internationalization of education requires finding suitable media, and ancient poetry can serve

as an important medium to help promote the international exchange of traditional Chinese culture. Based on

this, this article proposes the following suggestions: firstly, to strengthen the understanding and learning of

ancient poetry culture; secondly, to innovate teaching models in combination with the characteristics of

international education; and thirdly, to effectively disseminate educational resources. The ultimate goal is to

reduce cultural barriers and achieve internationalization of Chinese language and literature education.

1 INTRODUCTION

With the proposal of the "Belt and Road Initiative"

policy, China's economic development level has

rapidly improved and its international influence has

gradually increased. How to integrate Chinese

language and literature with international practice is

an urgent problem to be solved. From a cross-cultural

perspective, promoting Chinese culture can facilitate

cultural exchange and mutual learning among

countries, while maintaining the common prosperity

and diverse development of world cultures. Chinese

culture is vast and profound, among which ancient

poetry is an excellent embodiment. Ancient poetry

contains rich ideological and cultural connotations

and is the deepest cultural gene of the Chinese nation

(Lin, 2023). From an educational perspective,

traditional Chinese education is no longer in line with

the tide of the times. The innovative development and

dissemination of excellent Chinese culture such as

ancient poetry is undoubtedly a way to achieve

internationalization of education. Through analysis of

Chinese education and the international Chinese

education industry, most of the teaching focus has

been on the Chinese language itself, and there is a

lack of research and promotion of ancient Chinese

and its culture. A scholar studying ancient poetry and

Chinese language teaching pointed out that although

there is awareness of spreading Chinese culture in

Chinese language teaching, there are still

shortcomings in teaching methods, textbook

development, and other aspects, and there is still

much room for improvement (Dong, 2018). Other

scholars believe that culture should not be defined

and is fluid. In the context of globalization, cultural

connections are created on-site. Rather than being

"cross-cultural" it is better to directly understand it as

the exchange of cultures (Baker, 2021). It must let

Chinese traditional culture go out into the Chinese

discipline, let foreigners understand China, and

enhance the soft power of Chinese culture. Therefore,

it is inevitable to effectively increase cultural

elements such as ancient poetry. To sum up, this study

will take ancient poetry as an example, focusing on

its role in achieving educational internationalization,

elaborating on the phenomenon of educational

internationalization and the educational function of

ancient poetry, summarizing practical experience,

and finally proposing relevant suggestions. This

study aims to shift the focus of Chinese language

teaching from simply understanding the essence of

the language to gaining a deeper understanding of the

stories and culture behind it. This will have a positive

impact on international Chinese language education

and cultural communication and dissemination.

Ma, W.

Research on the Function of Ancient Poetry Culture in Realizing the Internationalization of Education in China.

DOI: 10.5220/0013962000004912

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development (IESD 2025), pages 17-22

ISBN: 978-989-758-779-5

2 INTERNATIONALIZATION OF

CULTURE AND EDUCATION

2.1 The Importance of Culture in the

Internationalization of Education

Internationalization of education is a process of

globalization, which has become one of the core

operating trends of many higher education

institutions. It is not only about the exchange of

cultural knowledge but also about cultivating talents

who can adapt to the development of a globalized

society and economy (Sharipov, 2020).

The most important aspect for effectively

achieving internationalization of education is the

issue of cultural attributes. Culture is the cornerstone

of a country and social development. When culture

thrives, a country thrives; when culture is strong, a

country becomes strong. Promoting traditional

culture is the foundation of education. Taking

Chinese language and literature as an example, the

Chinese language cannot do without the basic support

of culture in the process of cultural communication.

Therefore, Chinese international education is not only

language teaching but also cultural teaching and

cross-cultural teaching (Wu and Tian, 2018).

Enhancing the learning of traditional Chinese culture

can not only expand various aspects of Chinese

language learning in the internationalization of

education, no longer being confined to the text itself,

thus enhancing the confidence of the national culture

but also effectively promoting mutual understanding

and respect between different countries and regions,

providing value guidance for building a community

with a shared future for mankind. Thus cultivating

talents with an international perspective, these talents

will promote Chinese culture to the world. At the

same time, the inheritance and innovation of

traditional culture through education also provide a

good platform for international exchange and

cooperation. However, it is worth noting that the

internationalization of education does not mean the

Westernization of education. It cannot blindly copy

Western educational concepts but should combine

them with its national conditions. The best way to de-

westernize is to restore China's local epistemology

and language culture (Guo, et al., 2022). Therefore,

culture plays a crucial role in the internationalization

of education, and educators should not ignore the

importance of culture. Instead, they should make

reasonable use of the educational significance

brought by excellent culture to achieve the expansion

and improvement of education.

2.2 Cultural and Educational Issues

Related Times Internationalization

of Education

The biggest challenge in internationalizing education

is how to face different cultural backgrounds.

In terms of educational forms, Western society

tends to advocate individualism, encourage

individuals to express their views, and prioritize

individual interests over collective interests. China

places greater emphasis on collectivism, emphasizing

that collective interests outweigh individual interests,

and viewing excessive individualistic behavior as

selfish (Zhao, 2020). In the international teaching of

Chinese, because of these differences in concepts, the

teaching forms of China and the West are very

different. Traditional Chinese teaching stays in the

textbook, taking the class as a whole, and the teacher

gives lectures mainly. In the teaching of traditional

culture such as ancient poetry, most of them stay in

the stage of knowledge infusion and rote learning;

Western countries, on the other hand, are pursuing an

"exploratory" learning approach, emphasizing the

autonomy of learning and the expression of personal

thoughts.

Given the current situation, seeking a balance is

particularly important. Another major challenge is to

find a suitable platform to connect traditional

teaching with international teaching. Many scholars

have emphasized this issue, but some methods can be

borrowed, such as applying cross-cultural

communication to disciplinary fields to enhance the

effectiveness and internationalization of traditional

teaching (Zhao, 2024). Similarly, in the education of

Chinese language and literature, it is even more

necessary to find corresponding cultural carriers to

implement abstract concepts. Finally, in terms of

cultural education, the issue of "cultural evolution"

has become increasingly prominent. Excellent

traditional culture has been neglected, and the

instrumental and utilitarian nature of culture has

become stronger, thus ignoring the humanistic nature

brought by culture (Li and Jiang, 2017). In this way,

Chinese language teaching is easily influenced by

other cultures, and China's cultural security will also

be threatened. It can be seen that there are still many

problems in the cultural field of internationalization

of education, and it is necessary to find excellent

ways to better achieve its internationalization.

IESD 2025 - International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development

3 THE CULTURE AND

EDUCATIONAL FUNCTION IN

ANCIENT POETRY

3.1 The Cultural Connotation of

Ancient Poetry

Firstly, ancient poetry occupies an important position

in traditional Chinese culture. From the "Shi Jing" to

the Yuan Dynasty, the development of ancient poetry

is a witness and epitome of Chinese culture

throughout history. In addition, ancient poetry, with

its unique artistic form, expresses the excellent

cultural heritage of the Chinese nation. This is not

only the focus of Chinese language and literature

majors, but also a valuable carrier in the

internationalization of education. As a treasure of

Chinese civilization, ancient poetry is the pinnacle of

ancient Chinese literature and art, carrying profound

historical and philosophical ideas as well as diverse

emotional values (Wu, 2024). For example, the "Shi

Jing" reflects the social situation from the early

Western Zhou Dynasty to the mid-Spring and

Autumn Period, the "Chu Ci "reflects the political

turmoil of the Warring States period, and Qu Yuan's

struggle between ideals and reality, the Han Yuefu's

"Mo Shang Sang" reflects the customs and habits of

Han society and the elevation of women's status, Du

Fu's "Chun Wang" reflects the historical turning point

of the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline and

the poet's concern for the country and the people, and

Liu Yong's "Yu Lin Ling" reflects the cultural

atmosphere of Song society and the aesthetic taste of

literati. Secondly, from the perspective of language

teaching, ancient poetry conveys the lofty aspirations

and emotions of ancient literati through concise

language and often expresses emotions through

objects, which is a unique charm in Chinese cultural

language. Raising the cultural connotation of ancient

poetry to a philosophical level has made significant

contributions to understanding some Chinese

philosophical views. From materialism to

epistemology to dialectics, corresponding lines can be

found in Chinese ancient poetry. The philosophical

wisdom contained in it is thought-provoking and

plays an important guiding role in understanding and

transforming the world, thus making education

internationalization full of Chinese characteristics

(Ma, 2018).

In short, there are still many cultural connotations

in ancient poetry, and its influence cannot be

underestimated. Firmly grasping the foundation of

ancient poetry is a manifestation of international

education that does not forget its roots, and it is also

a window to understanding ancient Chinese history

and culture.

3.2 The Educational Function of

Ancient Poetry

Ancient poetry also has important educational

functions. It not only cultivates students' literary

literacy and aesthetic taste but also enhances their

language expression ability and creativity. By

studying ancient Chinese poetry, students can gain a

deeper understanding of China's history, philosophy,

and culture, enhancing their cultural confidence and

national identity. Because ancient poetry plays a

significant educational role, there is an increasing

emphasis on teaching poetry and culture in Chinese

language and literature education.

Firstly, it is aesthetic education. Discovering the

beauty in poetry is the key to understanding poetry.

For example, environmental descriptions are often

used in poetry to depict beautiful scenery, and poets

also use scenery to express their emotions and

aspirations. Moreover, ancient poetry often has the

phenomenon of "leaving white beauty". This method

of preserving a certain amount of imaginative space

can resonate with readers to the greatest extent

possible, while allowing people to immerse

themselves in the scene and have endless aftertaste.

This is the aesthetics in ancient poetry (Qi, 2021).

Secondly, ancient poetry also has educational

significance in shaping personality and establishing

values. Ancient poetry contains socialist core values

such as patriotism, friendliness, and harmony.

Because it has inspired political revolution and

encouraged the military in history, it has an

enlightening and leading role in people's thinking.

The patriotism, friendliness, and harmony ideas in

ancient poetry play an important role in strengthening

the sense of responsibility and moral cultivation of

contemporary students and contribute to the great

rejuvenation of the Chinese nation (Dou and Fan,

2018).

Finally, it has a positive impact on the cultivation

of language thinking ability as well. Literature has

shown that "thinking development and improvement"

refers to the ability to consciously analyze and reflect

on one's language expression, and ultimately improve

the ability to use language. As a special form of

language expression, ancient poetry is based on social

experience, and the language expression of different

styles of poetry varies, which is closely related to the

quality of thinking (Guo, 2018).

Research on the Function of Ancient Poetry Culture in Realizing the Internationalization of Education in China

In one word, ancient poetry education is an

important way to inherit culture, inspire wisdom, and

cultivate sentiment, so it is necessary to combine

ancient poetry culture with international education.

4 ANCIENT POETRY AND

INTERNATIONALIZATION OF

EDUCATION

4.1 The Role of Ancient Poetry in The

Internationalization of Education

Ancient poetry can serve as a bridge for cross-cultural

communication in international education. The most

obvious one is the increasing demand for Chinese

language education among overseas Chinese, who are

also important carriers of exporting Chinese culture.

The understanding of Chinese culture among

overseas Chinese determines how far Chinese culture

can go overseas (Xiang, 2022).

Internationalization of education should first

focus on understanding the national culture of the

language being studied. As a major feature of Chinese

culture, ancient poetry can help foreigners or students

learning Chinese as a second language understand the

deep structure and values of Chinese culture. Thus

promoting mutual understanding and respect among

people from different cultural backgrounds,

enhancing communication and mutual learning

between different cultures, and contributing to the

construction of a diverse and harmonious

international community.

Secondly, the internationalization of education

requires easily accessible and diverse teaching

content. Taking Su Shi's poetry as an example, the

changes in tone and the ups and downs of tone are

major characteristics. By mastering the tone of the

poem and gaining a preliminary understanding of its

content, combined with Su Shi's own experience and

the poetic lines describing the beautiful scenery of

West Lake in Su Shi's poetry, the content of the poem

is combined with the Chinese region and food culture,

enabling overseas students to better understand and

making the teaching content vivid and vivid (Lin and

Zhang, 2024). Studying ancient poetry in this way can

narrow the gap between foreign culture and Chinese

culture, and improve students' thinking, language

communication, grammar understanding, and other

aspects.

The but not least, the global sharing of educational

resources is worth paying attention to. For example,

Chinese ancient poetry culture plays an important role

in international culture. Learning about ancient poetry

culture should not be limited to the classroom, but can

be shared comprehensively through cultural festivals,

the production of interesting short videos on major

video platforms, social media promotion, and other

means. These activities not only promote the

dissemination and sharing of ancient poetry culture

but also contribute to the promotion and deepening of

international education. Nowadays, more and more

scholars are studying the foreign language translation

of ancient poetry, with the aim of promoting and

developing traditional Chinese culture.

In summary, the implementation of

internationalization of education relies on having a

holistic perspective. In Chinese language and

literature, ancient poetry is a great medium, and it is

a long process from ancient poetry itself to promoting

the popularization of excellent cultural education. But

through learning about such excellent Chinese

culture, domestic students can understand the roots

and sources, receive good educational guidance,

comprehend cultural differences, enhance cultural

identity, and let the world see and understand China

externally.

4.2 Suggestions and Related Measures

Utilizing ancient poetry culture to achieve

internationalization of education involves complex

processes such as cultural inheritance, language

teaching, and international communication and

dissemination. To efficiently spread the culture of

ancient poetry to the international community, on the

one hand, it can increase the number of traditional

cultural courses such as ancient poetry, continuously

educate scholars on culture, and let quantitative

changes lead to qualitative changes. On the other

hand, an effective evaluation and assessment

mechanism should be established. For students who

have acquired Chinese as a second language, fun

activities such as poetry competitions and knowledge

quizzes can be held to enhance their learning

enthusiasm, supervise their improvement of learning

efficiency, and create a strong learning atmosphere.

In language teaching, there needs to be innovative

ways, as simply reading aloud and memorizing can

erode interest. In addition, some Chinese non-native

speakers face great difficulty in pronunciation and

intonation. At this time, they can learn from programs

such as "Poetry Conference" and "Classic Chant" to

sing poems. The combination of ancient poems and

songs is an innovative artistic practice, which is not

only for foreigners to learn, but also for domestic

students. The dissemination of music far exceeds the

IESD 2025 - International Conference on Innovative Education and Social Development

recitation of poetry itself, and can even be translated

into languages of different countries, thereby

enhancing the internationalization of education.

Through diverse forms of expression and in-depth

teaching research, the artistic appeal and cultural

educational value of works are strengthened. For

example, traditional Chinese instruments such as

guzheng, guqin, pipa, etc. can be filled with poetry to

create a unique charm. This combination makes

ancient poetry and songs a form of cultural education,

promoting dialogue and understanding between

different cultures, while also enriching the diversity

of global music and art (Fang, 2022). Furthermore,

corresponding scenario performances can also be

performed, and scenario short plays can be arranged

to immerse students in the historical background and

emotional will of the poet, making the words vivid

and concrete, which can also leave a deep impression

on students. The biggest and most crucial challenge is

international communication, and the ultimate goal of

achieving internationalization of education is to

integrate traditional culture with the international

community. One is to use digital media to produce

relevant videos for promotion and publication,

making the teaching of ancient poetry more vivid and

intuitive. Secondly, it is possible to strengthen

exchanges and learning with foreign schools, carry

out cultural festivals between China and foreign

countries, teach ancient poetry, and other projects.

For example, the 21st International Cultural Festival

of Peking University was attended by international

students from 47 countries and regions. During the

event, the organizers prepared three ancient poems of

different difficulty levels for international students to

challenge their understanding and recitation, to

enhance their understanding and interest in Chinese

ancient poetry. For example, the International Office

of Peking University organized a poetry recitation

competition for international students. In the

competition, students performed ancient poems

through recitation, singing, and performance. Peking

University effectively integrated ancient poetry

culture into international education during the

International Cultural Festival, enriching the content

and forms of education. Through these measures, it is

possible to achieve modernization and

internationalization of education while ensuring the

protection and inheritance of traditional culture in

ancient poetry.

5 CONCLUSION

The highlight of this study lies in finding the medium

of "ancient poetry" to promote the

internationalization of education and attempting to

analyze its feasibility. The article elaborates on the

importance and methods of internationalizing

Chinese culture through the combination of education

internationalization and ancient poetry culture. It is

found that the current education form is developing

innovatively from tradition to internationalization,

and the cultural heritage contained in ancient poetry

can serve as a representative and epitome of China's

excellent traditional culture. Through various poetry

cultural activities, poetry and song dissemination,

ancient poetry education can be made vivid, and its

characteristics can be played in cross-cultural

communication, thus achieving the

internationalization of education and aligning the

Chinese language and literature with the world.

This study fully collected and organized relevant

literature materials, and conducted multi-domain

analysis in conjunction with the Chinese language

and literature major. However, due to professional

limitations, research scope, and practical data, there

are still incomplete aspects. It is hoped that future

research can collect more practical cases to make up

for the shortcomings. In the future, in the field of

international education, it is necessary to continue

and deepen the study of traditional Chinese culture

such as ancient poetry, and enrich teaching forms and

content, so that language learning can be transformed

into cultural learning, which is the trend and direction

of international education development.

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