Today (March 2), on the eve of the Lantern Festival and the first day of the new semester, Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s 130th anniversary celebration series officially launched with the lighting ceremony titled “Ride the Dream Forward: A New Journey for SJTU’s 130th Anniversary” at the central square of the Yuyuan Lantern Festival.

The venue was filled with people and a warm atmosphere. The profound heritage of SJTU’s 130 years met the refined folk traditions of Yuyuan in a vibrant encounter. Traditional intangible cultural heritage lantern artistry shone brilliantly, while the vitality of modern scientific innovation sparkled just as brightly. The spirit of SJTU illuminated the night at Yuyuan, becoming a striking sight that captured everyone’s attention.

Attending the event were Zhu Lixin, Vice Chairman and Party Secretary of Yuyuan Inc.; alumnus Zhang Lingyun, President of Shanghai Zhitong Construction Development Co., Ltd.; Zhao Xin, Managing Director of Wananjun Culture; Zhao Xin, Deputy Party Secretary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Yu Chaoyang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Director of the Publicity Department; Sun Baode, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chair Professor of the School of Materials Science and Engineering; Song Haitao, President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Institute; along with representatives of faculty and students from relevant university units.

In his speech, Zhao Xin stated that Shanghai Jiao Tong University, spanning three centuries, has always developed in step with national progress and urban advancement. Yuyuan, as a landmark of Shanghai-style culture, carries the thousand-year cultural legacy of Jiangnan folk traditions and serves as a vivid symbol of the city’s cultural roots. The encounter between SJTU’s 130th anniversary and Yuyuan’s seven centuries of history represents not only a dialogue between tradition and modernity, but also a deep integration between university culture and the city’s cultural heritage. On the occasion of SJTU’s 130th anniversary, he expressed hope that this collaboration would allow SJTU’s spirit of scientific innovation and Yuyuan’s cultural charm to empower each other, inspiring more young people to understand and appreciate Chinese culture through the fusion of tradition and modernity.

Representatives of SJTU faculty, students, and alumni jointly activated the lighting installation, illuminating the brilliant sea of lanterns in Yuyuan. The SJTU emblem and the 130th anniversary logo were prominently displayed.

SJTU’s 130 years meet Yuyuan’s 700-year heritage
A deep fusion of university culture and urban tradition

Accompanied by the powerful rhythms of traditional Chinese drums, elegant long-sleeve dances, and storytelling performances, the lighting ceremony officially began.

Next to the central square of the Yuyuan Lantern Festival, a photo checkpoint titled “Happy New Year, Good Fortune for SJTU” became especially popular. Faculty, students, alumni, and visitors stopped to take photos and capture this memorable moment.

Faculty, students, and alumni gathered with members of the public to watch the ceremony, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

Technology meets traditional culture
Intelligent robots energize the crowd

The spirit of technological innovation became the most eye-catching highlight of the event. An embodied-intelligence startup incubated by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Institute created a futuristic interactive zone in the central square, where several intelligent robots demonstrated their capabilities.

A humanoid robot waved warmly to the audience, greeting visitors with a friendly smile and approachable gestures. A voice-interactive robot acted as a cultural guide, vividly narrating the history of SJTU and the traditions of Yuyuan in real time. Another embodied-intelligence robot equipped with dexterous hands moved between the stage and the crowd, bringing waves of laughter and excitement.

Tonight’s Yuyuan Lantern Festival not only illuminated the night sky but also illuminated the path toward a future where technology and the humanities are deeply integrated. “We are delighted to see our embodied-intelligence robots not only bringing warmth and approachability to technology through their friendly interactions with the public, but also acting as cultural ambassadors by sharing SJTU’s 130-year history and the traditions of Yuyuan. They even presented cultural and creative products inspired by the spirit of SJTU. What we see is not only technological precision but also emotional warmth. We hope to use artificial intelligence as a pen—writing major breakthroughs in frontier technology while also painting a new picture of cultural heritage—so that technological innovation becomes a force with both warmth and depth.”

— Song Haitao
President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University
President of the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Institute

Chinese and international students gather to celebrate traditional culture
Immersive experiences of intangible cultural heritage

Under the night sky, the Yuyuan Lantern Festival shone brilliantly.With the theme “Ride the Dream Forward, Let Flowers Bloom Across the Wilderness,” the festival combined exquisite traditional lantern craftsmanship with cutting-edge digital light technologies to create a fantastical world filled with Eastern aesthetics, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the unique charm created by the meeting of tradition and technology.

Visitors could wander through a dreamlike landscape of light: In the central square, the grand main lantern installation “Galloping Across the Nine Provinces, Blossoms at Every Step” recreated the majestic posture of the Six Steeds of the Tang Dynasty. As the lights flowed, flowers bloomed one after another, displaying the splendor of a flourishing era.

Around the Nine-Turn Bridge, the scene transformed into “Horses Leaping Through the Milky Way, Chasing Dreams in the Cosmos,” a vast starry realm filled with dazzling lights that led visitors into a mythical dreamlike world.

Above Ninghui Road, the lantern installation “Dancing Horses Bringing Blessings” presented a three-part narrative—from historical heritage to visions of the future and contemporary creativity—telling the story of the inclusiveness and innovation of Shanghai-style culture.

While enjoying the lantern displays, many faculty members and students shared their thoughts and reflections on the lighting ceremony and the lantern fair.

“My parents once brought me here to Yuyuan and the City God Temple to see the lantern festival when I was a child. Seeing it again today, I’m amazed by how beautifully SJTU’s advanced technology blends with Yuyuan’s traditional lantern festival. It truly reflects the unique charm of Shanghai as a city that embraces diversity.”

— Chen Hengyi
Master’s student, KoGuan School of Law

“It is simply breathtaking. Traditional Chinese culture and modern technology shine together brilliantly. Standing beneath the dazzling lantern sea in Yuyuan, I truly feel the prosperity of our nation and the happiness of people’s lives. I am also deeply grateful for the warmth and care from our country and our university that allows us to share this wonderful moment.”

— Wang Xiaoxiao
Undergraduate student, School of Materials Science and Engineering

That evening, four international students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University also visited Yuyuan Bazaar, experiencing the charm of intangible cultural heritage while walking through the lantern displays and feeling the unique fusion of tradition and modernity.

“The Lantern Festival celebrations highlight the importance of tradition and cultural heritage in Chinese society. For those of us from abroad, it is also a wonderful opportunity to understand what brings Chinese people together and to better integrate into Chinese society.”

— Samy Kaci
PhD student from Algeria
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute

“Although Bangladesh has its own traditional festivals, tonight I was deeply impressed by this lantern art that blends nature, mythology, and modern creativity. This cultural expression is both unique and warm, and it helped me better understand the Chinese idea of harmony. I look forward to sharing this experience with friends and family back home and hope to participate in more cultural exchange activities like this in the future.”

— ADIB HOSSAIN SIJAN
Master’s student from Bangladesh
School of Environmental Science and Engineering

Scenes from the event

With the Lantern Festival approaching and the lanterns shining brightly,
the celebration of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s 130th anniversary is drawing closer.

Let us ride our dreams like swift horses and move toward the light,
carrying the hopes of the global SJTU community,
and come together for this long-awaited reunion celebrating 130 years of youth and spirit.

Correspondents: Xu Yuanrong, Jiang Qianqian, Wang Xinyu

Some materials sourced from: Shanghai Release, Shanghai Yuyuan

Editor: Liang Jianxiang et al.

Responsible editor: Chen Yuyang

Translated by: Rebecca

Proofread by: Denise