February 11, 2025
字圆其说 x 上纽大团委 · 元宵园游会
Pop-up Exhibition
The I Got One project lit up the Annual Lantern Festival Fair at NYU Shanghai with a pop-up exhibition hosted in collaboration with the Youth League. Nestled among the classic lantern riddles, which is a beloved tradition of the festival, I Got One introduced a refreshing intercultural spin.
Alongside the traditional puzzles, the booth showcased a new genre of riddles: playful, imaginative clues crafted by international students from NYU’s three global campuses. These riddles offered a glimpse into how non-native learners perceive Chinese characters: through surprising shapes, cross-cultural associations, and creative storytelling. Native Chinese speakers were invited to take on the challenge and guess the meanings, sparking joyful exchanges and thoughtful reflection.
The event drew in over 200 participants, all buzzing with curiosity and admiration. Many Chinese students expressed how impressed they were by their international peers’ unique interpretations of the language—seeing familiar characters in entirely new ways. For both sides, it was more than a festival. It was a moment of shared discovery, where language became a bridge, not a barrier.
