Unlocking Both Sides of Shanghai — JOBB Phase III Team Building Day

October 6th, the Mid-Autumn Festival, was also the day when the third cohort of the JOBB Vocational Empowerment Program held their team-building activity.
The students’ excitement matched the vibrant energy of Shanghai itself: What kind of city is this? With curiosity and anticipation, they set out on a full-day journey of exploration.

Their footsteps traced the evolution of Chinese civilization —from the fragrant world of ink and print at the Shanghai Printing Museum,to the solemn stone gate architecture of the Site of the First National Congress of the CPC, and finally to the modern skyline of the Bund.
It was a journey through both history and the present — and for the students from Kashgar, Xinjiang, it was their first immersive encounter with Shanghai.

Shanghai’s A-Side: Red Beginnings and Ancient Wisdom

Site of the First National Congress of the CPC
Walking among the Shikumen-style buildings, the students found themselves at a crossroads of time: bustling modern streets outside, solemn history within.
It was as if they had been transported back a century to a day that changed the course of China’s future.
Reflecting on the city’s transformation, the students felt deeply moved.
They picked up pens to write heartfelt wishes to their motherland on postcards:

“May our country grow stronger and more prosperous.”
Each word carried genuine emotion.

Shanghai Printing Museum
Stepping into the museum, the students were greeted by the scent of ink and the beauty of movable type.They paused before an exhibit on Uyghur wooden movable type, listening to the story of Western Xia woodblock printing, and marveled at how different ethnic scripts could coexist harmoniously on sheets of Chinese paper.

In the Digital Kizil Caves exhibit, students from Kashgar saw familiar sights from their hometowns recreated in vivid digital form.
As they learned about the spread of Buddhism eastward, they realized that the richness of Chinese civilization was built through the joint contributions of many ethnic groups —
a testament to the inclusiveness and openness that has nourished Chinese culture through the ages.

Shanghai’s B-Side: The Bund — Symbol of Modernity and Momentum

When the city’s skyline — once glimpsed only through car windows — finally unfolded before their eyes like a vast scroll, the students experienced Shanghai’s pace firsthand.
During the National Day holiday, the dense crowds and endless streams of cars left a strong impression of the city’s intensity — and of its invisible pressure.

“This city holds so many kinds of people — and endless possibilities,”
one student remarked.

Just as previous cohorts once participated in the International Coffee Festival and street vending events here, the Bund continues to bear witness to the sweat, effort, and dreams of countless strivers.

Conclusion

At the Printing Museum, students also experienced Mid-Autumn multicolor woodblock printing firsthand.
One piece bore the words “Though far apart, we share the same moonlight,”
— a touching message for the young people from Kashgar who have journeyed thousands of miles to learn and grow.

Under the full moon, hearts find reunion.

Though far from home, the students found another kind of “togetherness” in Shanghai —
one of national unity, social inclusion, and warmth. It is also a new beginning for each of them through the JOBB Program.

May this semester for the students be as complete as the Mid-Autumn moon,
and as bright as the lights along the Bund.