Foreign students sample culture through history

One stop was at Weinan's Tongguan county, an ancient city near a vital ferry crossing of the Yellow River. Situated at the junction of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan provinces, throughout history, Tongguan has been a highly contested military stronghold.

The former fortress there has now been transformed into the Tongguan Museum, which preserves more than 1,700 cultural artifacts and showcases the region's historical significance and cultural heritage.

After viewing the exhibition, visitors can step outside onto the terrace on the top floor, where they can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the juncture of three rivers — the Yellow River, Weihe and Luohe.

"I was so happy when I finally saw the Yellow River. I'm so pleased I was able to come here. It's even more amazing that I was able to come to a place like this by not moving my lips," he adds.

The participants of the program were divided into three groups to explore different Chinese cities. In Weinan, the students toured six counties or county-level cities — Hancheng, Huayin, Heyang, Chengcheng, Dali and Tongguan. They visited historical sites, scenic spots, and modern farms, where they learned about culture and history, viewed and experienced performing arts, as well as planted their own saplings.

With rich cultural resources, Weinan now has 17 national-level intangible cultural heritage projects and 123 provincial-level projects. The numbers of its national-level intangible cultural heritage projects and inheritors rank the highest in Shaanxi province.

One of the first art forms the students encountered was Huayin Laoqiang (laoqiang meaning ancient tune), a folk opera style listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage. Because of its powerful and raw vocal characteristics, the art form is often described as the traditional Chinese version of rock 'n' roll.

"When we went to see the performance, I was feeling a little tired, but once I got there and the show began, I became so energetic," says Syton Peter Chawinga from Malawi, also a student from Shanghai International Studies University.

"It's interesting to see how the older artists were performing with so much energy and passion. I think their heart is really in the preservation of their culture."