Guangzhou Nansha’s cross-cultural community blooms through sports and crafts
In Nansha Jiaomenhe, Chinese and foreign residents can do sports together, join yoga classes, or even try their hand at traditional lacquer fan making. This was what summer looked like in the international neighborhood — vibrant, diverse, and full of life.
Nansha Jiaomenhe is committed to building an open and inclusive international neighborhood where cultures meet and blend. In August 2025, a series of engaging activities have been held, bringing people together and deepening multicultural exchanges.
On August 2, the Nansha Jiaomenhe International Neighborhood organized an activity themed Playing Pickleball Together at the Asia Pickleball League (Nansha) Pickleball Center. The event attracted about 22 Chinese and international residents. Under the guidance of professional coaches, the event combined theoretical teaching, practical training, and cultural exchange, allowing participants to fully experience the excitement and energy of pickleball.
During the activity, professional coaches explained the fundamentals of pickleball in detail, including the correct way of holding the paddle, as well as serving and returning skills. Afterwards, participants were divided into groups for matches. Through lively interactions, participants not only improved their skills but also deepened their friendship.
This event not only promoted pickleball as an emerging sport but also built a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and the world. It has inspired more residents to actively participate in physical exercise, fostered a positive atmosphere of fitness in the run-up to China's 15th National Games in late November.
Nansha Jiaomenhe International Neighborhood has organized a series of ten public yoga classes. The neighborhood invited overseas yoga practitioners to provide free yoga lessons for Chinese and foreign residents, which benefited a total of 78 participants.
The course focused on basic yoga postures, breathing control, and meditation techniques. It was aimed to help residents relieve stress, strengthen their bodies, and achieve harmony of mind and body. Under the guidance of yoga practitioners, participants gradually mastered the fundamentals of yoga and experienced the peace and relaxation it brings. The public yoga classes not only enriched the cultural life of residents in the neighborhood but also created a new platform for cultural exchange and integration between Chinese and foreign residents.
Recently, a community event in Guangzhou's Nansha district brought together Chinese and foreign families to create lacquer fans—a form of intangible cultural heritage—in celebration of the upcoming National Games.
Co-hosted by the Jiaomenhe community neighborhood committee and the Nansha Sub-district Social Work Service Station, the event attracted families from Mauritius, Ukraine, Cameroon, and other countries, alongside local residents. Through fan-making and interactive games, the event promoted the spirit of the National Games and strengthened bonds among international neighbors.
Around crafting tables, Chinese and international families mixed mineral pigments and painted fan surfaces together. Some used green and blue tones to reflect the "green games" concept, while others incorporated abstract patterns symbolizing sportsmanship.
A participant from Russia described her handmade fan as a "cultural keepsake" that she would use to share Chinese culture and the excitement of the National Games with family and friends back home.
Nansha International Neighborhood will continue to leverage its international resources to host similar cultural events, helping expatriates integrate into life in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and showcasing the district's openness.
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