In this new semester filled with hopes and dreams, SAFTI welcomed a group of energetic and curious new faces in this beautiful autumn — 252 first-year students, 76new-comingmaster’s students and 37 Fall exchange students. To celebrate the arrival of new blood and to build up mutual understanding and communication among them, SAFTI organized special team building trips to Dapeng Peninsula on 19th, 20th and 27th of October respectively. Let's follow the camera to recall theseunforgettabletrips!

Let the dream set sail in the morning light

With the first rays ofsunshinegently brushing across the campus, freshmen of theClass of 2024 and the Fall exchange students embarked on their first team-building trip to Dapeng Peninsula, laden with curiosity about the unknown and anticipation for new friendship. This is not just a trip, but also a meaningful departure in the journey of youth.

A journey through time at Dapeng Fortress

Our first stop was Dapeng Fortress, the historical gem of eastern Shenzhen. Built in the 27th year of Hongwu's reign (1394) during the Ming Dynasty, this ancient city served as a military fortress for maritime defense throughout the Ming and Qing Dynasties, guarding the strategically vital area of the Pearl River estuary in the South China Sea. In the past more than 600 years, the city has witnessed the glorious history of China's resilience against foreign invasions, and forged outstanding naval generals and national heroes such as Lai Enjue, Lai Enxi, Liu Qilong and so on.

The students visited the Coastal Defense Museum of Dapeng Fortress andtheResidence of General Lai Enjue, witnessing firsthand the heroic stories of frontier defense. This ancient city silently presents the past glory and vicissitudes, with its nearly a thousand years of history and rich cultural heritage. Led by the tour guide, students either paused to admire or whispered in conversation, not only appreciating the beauty of the ancient city, but also finding a resonance in the profoundness of this history. The visit deepened the students' understanding of China's long history and sparked their interest in traditional culture.

A lunchtime feast for the taste buds

At lunch time, a well-prepared feast withbeautifulseaview was waiting for the hungry students. Sitting around together, basking in the fresh sea breeze and the bright sunshine, they enjoyedavariety of delicious dishes with appealing colors and enticing aromas, andat the same timebuilt up their energy for the afternoon exercise games. The Chinese and international students drew closer to each other in a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere filled with laughter and conversations.

Laughingand sweatingon the shores of JudiaoshaBeach

Along with the beautiful afternoon sunshine andrefreshingsea breeze, the students arrived at the picturesque Judiaosha Beach. The golden beach and the blue ocean instantly ignited their vitality. Before the exercise games started, the coach organized an ice-breaking activity, where students got toset up their own teams for team culture demonstration,buildingtheir team spiritin the process.

On the beach, a fierce penalty shootout was taking place. Each team took turns shooting at goal. The final result was based on all the goals scored by the team. Every skillfulkickand every preciseshotwould draw a burst of cheers, which was the best proof of team spirit.

Afterwards, aheated frisbee competition kicked off. Students snatched the frisbee and tried to throw itrightat the target. This seemingly simple game actually tested their skills inpowercontrol, direction judgment, etc.;and at the same time, it also honed their sense of trust and teamwork. In the game of “Dodge Frisbee”, students were able to exercise their physical coordination and cooperation with each other when passing and catching thefrisbee, launching an attack, instantly shifting,andswiftlydodgingthe disc. During the game, students had to pay close attention to the direction of the frisbee andmake accurate decisions as towhen and how to dodge, which helped to improve their concentration, agility and responsiveness. This fast-paced game with requirements on strategy design not only made the game fun to play, but also boosted students' reflexes and responsiveness.

The last game was called “Hundred Changes of Golden Cudgel”. Students in the sameteamwould hold a rod, or the “Golden Cudgel”, and while maintaining their balance, they would need to let go of the rod in their hands and swiftly grab the one of their teammates in front of them. In the process, everyone in the team would need to make sure that their “Golden Cudgel” did not fall to the ground. The team that finished in the shortest time would get the highest score. This game was a perfect demonstration of physical fitness and team spirit.

Barbecue party awaitingat the nightfall

As the sunset glow radiated over the horizon, we arrived at the Cape of Good Hope Campground at Seven-Star Bay of DapengDistrict. Here, a unique barbecue party was waiting for everyone. Teams of students turned into barbecue masters and had fun in every step of the cooking, from choosing ingredients to the final seasoning. As the charcoal fire crackled and the delicious aroma filled the air, everyone savored the food they had grilled themselves, experiencing a deep sense of achievement and satisfaction that was hard to put into words. This delicious and fun barbecue party deepened mutual understanding and cooperation, giving the best illustration of team power.

Singing the song of youth at bonfire party under starlight

As the night fell, a bonfire party flared up. The student representatives held torches and lit the bonfire together, symbolizing unity and hope. The bonfire lightsshone on the faces that glowed with happiness and anticipation. When the music started, everyone gathered around the bonfire, singing or dancing, enjoying the vigor and passion of youth. At that moment, all the fatigue and shyness disappeared, leaving only pure happiness and warmth.

Walking hand in hand into a bright future

Amidstthelaughterof happiness, the first team-building trip for the Class of 2024 came to a successful conclusion. This was not just a trip, but also a spirit-refreshing experience that witnessed the growth of the students.Theyhavecultivatedfriendship, learned cooperation and experienced joy here.

May you take this precious memory with you and walk hand in hand together to write your own brilliant chapters in the wide world of SZU in the future!

2024 Class 1 of theBig DataManagement and Applications program,2024Class ofBlockchainand Information System program, andexchange students from Audencia

2024 Class 1 and Class 2 of the Financial Technology program, and2024Class 2 of theBig DataManagement and Applications program

2024master’sstudents in Financial Technology and Risk Controlprogram,2024master’sstudents from WeBank Institute of FinTech

To everyfreshmanin the Class of 2024: May youfearlessly pursue your dreams and create an ever brighter future!