"This shows cultural heritage is not only a resource of the past but also something that can be passed down to the future," he added.
Based on on-site research, Chinese and foreign experts shared their wisdom at three roundtable conferences focusing on international cooperation on heritage protection, cultural heritage inheritance among the youth and international communications.
Among the activities, a roundtable conference for the younger-generation — or Gen Z — researchers attracted attention in this era of digitalization, as the participants highlighted how to use the latest technologies to protect cultural assets in Shanxi and promote them to the world.
After attending the roundtable meeting on international cooperation, Pablo Mendoza, a Sinologist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, praised the professionalism of the event.
"This is a valuable and significant platform for cross-cultural exchanges," Mendoza said. "The frank dialogues and in-depth discussions among heritage protection professionals from different countries and regions have created a bridge for mutual learning and cooperation among various cultures."
Journey of discovery
A tour to explore Shanxi's sites of ancient architecture was an important part of the event. Dozens of visual artists, bloggers, journalists and researchers took part.
The group traveled through Taiyuan, Jinzhong, Xinzhou, Shuozhou and Datong, documenting heritage sites and local life through reports, photos, videos and paintings.
The itinerary included landmarks such as Jinci Temple, Foguang Temple, Xuankong Temple, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, the Yungang Grottoes and Huayan Temple. The sites ranged from ancient wooden structures and cliffside architecture to Buddhist cave art.
A team of reporters from TeleSUR, a multimedia platform based in Venezuela, was among the group. They produced two in-depth reports to cover Shanxi's ancient architectural sites, arousing interest in Shanxi's ancient culture among audiences in Latin America.
Usov Artem, a Russian blogger, showed great interest in Xuankong Temple — or the Hanging Temple — in Hunyuan county, Datong. His short video featuring the structuring techniques and the unique aesthetics of this globally renowned temple has garnered more than 10 million views on his social media accounts.
The Hanging Temple also left a strong impression on Moroccan video content creator Fatima Zahra. Drawing on her experience producing travel content for overseas audiences, Zahra said striking images often catch viewers' attention and encourage them to learn more about a place and its culture.
Several artists on the journey recorded their impressions in sketches and paintings. German illustrator and new media artist Anja Nolte focused on rooflines, dougong brackets, dragon motifs and decorative animal figures, including a small study of the Hanging Temple.
Chinese painter Li Zhengming said Shanxi's ancient buildings conveyed a strong sense of solemnity and historical depth. Li was struck by the relationship between the Hanging Temple and its mountain setting, saying that experiencing the structure on site revealed connections among architecture, geography and culture that books and screens could not fully convey.
Speaking at a cultural salon held during the tour, Song Yi, dean of the School of International Journalism and Communication at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said international creators often bring different visual languages, narrative rhythms and points of focus. Song said their perspectives could make Shanxi's heritage more accessible to overseas audiences.
During the journey, participants used photography, drawing and video to record different dimensions of Shanxi's heritage, from conservation work and timber construction to architectural details and daily life along the historical streets.
