To celebrate the 116th International Women's Day, the Labor Union of the School of International Education hosted a pearl handcrafting event for faculty and staff titled "Opening Oysters for Pearls, Encountering Beauty" in Room 107 of the Haichuan Building on the afternoon of March 6. Through an immersive experience of opening oysters to extract pearls and creating custom handcrafts, participants reflected on the life journey of "sand transforming into a pearl," while enjoying the thrill of a "blind box" reveal and the fun of making jewelry. Over 30 faculty and staff members from the college participated in the event.
To provide a seamless and high-quality experience, the event specially invited a professional handcraft instructor for on-site guidance. At the start of the session, the instructor introduced the biological formation of pearls, the history of pearl cultivation, and the complete process of opening the oysters, extracting the pearls, polishing them, and processing them into jewelry.
Transforming into "oyster-opening artisans," the faculty members donned gloves, picked up their tools, and carefully pried open the shells. As smooth, lustrous pearls of various hues were extracted from the oyster meat, the room erupted with cheers of surprise and admiration. Following the harvest, everyone enthusiastically dove into the cleaning, polishing, and jewelry-making stages. Based on their personal styles, the teachers paired their hand-picked pearls with exquisite accessories to craft unique necklaces, earrings, and brooches. The atmosphere was warm and lively, filled with laughter and a vibrant spirit of artistic creation.
This event not only allowed female faculty members to relax and enhance their aesthetic appreciation amidst their busy schedules, but it also conveyed the college's respect and care for its female employees through the hands-on experience. Moving forward, the College Labor Union will continue to innovate its activity formats and organize a wider variety of enriching cultural and sports programs. The goal is to foster a positive, warm, and harmonious working environment, injecting continuous humanistic momentum into the high-quality development of the college’s various endeavors.
