International students and foreign bloggers begin cultural tour of Shanxi

A group of international students and media members set off on a tour of Taiyuan, Shanxi province, on Tuesday to experience the unique charm of Chinese culture.

Hosted by China Daily and Shanxi Daily, the five-day event attracted 10 foreign bloggers from eight countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and France, along with some international students in Shanxi.

"In recent years, I have visited many historical sites, like the Guandi Temple, the Guanque Tower, and the extremely well-preserved Pingyao Ancient City," said Karyna Kovalevska, a blogger from Ukraine. "The cultural differences between Ukraine and China have filled me with curiosity about these ancient structures."

"I look forward to gaining a deeper understanding of the stories behind them through the event, and then recording and sharing this fascinating content," she added.

The Jinci Temple, established in the 11th century BC, is the earliest existing imperial ancestral temple garden in China. While visiting the temple, Russian blogger Romanovskaia Anzhelika said, "I've mostly been exposed to architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) before, but the ancient architectural complex here is even more historic. It truly deeply impressed me."

On Tuesday afternoon, they visited the Shanxi Museum, the largest center in the province for the collection, preservation, research, and exhibition of cultural relics. It holds over 500,000 items in its collection.

Also on Tuesday, the bloggers gained hands-on experience making dough sculptures and local noodles in Taiyuan.

"Shanxi noodles are so distinctive," said Luke O'Farrell, a blogger from Ireland. "I hope to taste more varieties in the coming days to further satisfy my curiosity about the local food culture."

During the remainder of the trip, the group will also travel to Jinzhong, Linfen, and Yuncheng.

Ding Yi contributed to this story.