In May 2017, the Chinese Peony Cultural Tourism Festival (Bozhou) was held at the Chinese Medicinal Herb and Flower Garden in Bozhou, Anhui Province.

Four Russian students from Hefei University performed at the opening ceremony. They presented two Russian songs by singing and dancing, winning warm applause from the audience. After the opening ceremony, the international students visited the Peony Planting Base and the Chinese Medicinal Herbs Trading Center in Bozhou.

In recent years, Hefei University has been making endeavors to become a bridge for cultural communication among countries along the Belt and Road .