Young visitors savor Jiangsu's floral beauty mingled with economic prowess

A group of young people, including those from seven countries beyond China, have witnessed up close some of the aesthetic majesty and economic power of Jiangsu province.

They were taking part in Footsteps in Jiangsu: Foreign Youth's Travelogue: Entering the Chinese Valley of Flowers, a tour that took them to Su Tai Flower and Tree Industry Demonstration Park, where they were even given the chance to make flower baskets.

The tour took place in Shuyang county of Suqian city from December 5 to 6, with young people from Algeria, Australia, Morocco, Myanmar, New Zealand, Nigeria and Thailand participating.

Shuyang county is popularly known as the "Home of Flowers and Trees" with its history of horticulture dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). In recent years the combination of flowers, trees and e-commerce has become important in the county's economy, with the value of sales among the top in the country.

Over the two days the young also called in at East China Flower and Tree World, Su Tai Succulent Industrial Park and Yisen Garden Bonsai Base in the town of Zhaxia, savoring the best of Shuyang's horticultural industry.

One of the visitors, ILORI Damilola Olamide from Nigeria, said: "The purple clay teapots that go back 2,400 years were remarkable. It's great that they have been preserved. China deserves praise for preserving such a culture."

On the second day of the tour, during a round-table discussion, the participants talked of their observations about Jiangsu.

Ye Kyaw Thu from Myanmar said: "Over the past two days I think the most interesting thing I have seen is how agriculture and e-commerce have been integrated in Shuyang county." This stood to re-energize the rural economy, he said.

ILORI Damilola Olamide said: "Jiangsu is a captivating place. Looking at the gardens of Suzhou, it's as though you're looking at a painting. Visiting it is like romanticizing in your own time."

Over the two days, the visitors said, they had gained a good understanding of Suqian and Jiangsu and would share their sentiments on social media platforms so that more people could get to know about the area's unique attractions.