On July 11, the activity of “Studying in Liaoning, Understanding China” was held in Shenyang. International students of Northeastern University and students of the Confucius Institute in Belarus visited the Liaoning Provincial Museum, Liaoning Provincial Library, Industrial Museum of China, and Shenyang 1905 Cultural and Creative Park together. These international students came from Russia, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, and Yemen. They explored the history and culture of Liaoning, visited the industrial heritage of Liaoning, thus understanding China through visiting and learning.

In the Liaoning Provincial Library, international students and the students of the Confucius Institute visited the “Inheritance and Innovation, Experience the Charm of China’s Ancient Books” special exhibition on preserving and inheriting ancient books. They watched and experienced woodblock printing and the processing of restoring ancient books, immersing themselves in the rich and time-honored Chinese culture. The pages with a yellowish tinge told the ancient stories of China. The students listened to the stories behind the ancient books and recognized the long history of Chinese ancient books.

At the Liaoning Provincial Museum, students visited the exhibition of the guqin culture titled “The Clear and Melodious Music”. Wang Xiangdong (Vladimir) from Russia saw the Chinese guqin (a seven-stringed plucked instrument) in the exhibition hall from a short distance for the first time. When he admired the “Jiu Xiao Huan Pei”, a guqin from the Tang Dynasty, he could not help praising its melodious tone, beautiful shape and structure, and profound culture. “The Chinese guqin truly lives up to its title of the World Cultural Heritage. Today, I had the honor of listening to guqin tunes and learning to play guqin from a guqin teacher. It is such a memorable experience”.

Samuilik Varvara, an international student from Belarus, started her study in Shenyang not long ago. Thanks to the activity of “Studying in Liaoning, Understanding China”, she visited the Industrial Museum of China and Shenyang 1905 Cultural and Creative Park for the first time. “Upon entering the Industrial Museum of China, we were captivated by the rich and pervasive industrial vibe. From the guide’s explanation, I learned that Liaoning was once ‘the cradle of New China’s industry’ and accomplished hundreds of firsts in the history of New China’s industry, which was genuinely marvelous!” said Samuilik Varvara. “In the 1905 Cultural and Creative Park, we saw that the old factory buildings were transformed into a cultural and creative park. There are not only the Rhino Market activities for cultural and creative products but also cultural performances at small theaters and concerts. The longer people roam around in the park, the more intrigued and interested they become”.

From the short day trip, the international students learned about the rich culture and long history of Liaoning from the perspective of “the ambassador of cultural experience” and experienced the diversity and charm of Chinese culture.