Russian, Indonesian, Yemeni students experience Jincheng's cultural treasures

International students from Russia, Indonesia and Yemen experienced the intangible cultural heritage of Jincheng at Shanxi University on Friday, getting a taste of the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture.

Tsimmerman Liudmila, an 18-year-old Russian student attending such a cultural event on campus for the first time, said Shanxi boasts rich ancient architecture and intangible cultural heritage. She said she would post photos of the event on overseas social media platforms to share Jincheng's distinctive culture with relatives and friends back home.

Jincheng sits in southeastern Shanxi, on the border with Henan province, and is home to 117 ancient castles and 150,000 rooms of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties architecture. Since the Chinese-developed game Black Myth: Wukong became a global hit, ancient architectural sites in Jincheng such as Jade Emperor Temple, Tiefo Temple and Erxian Temple in Xixi have continued to draw attention at home and abroad.

The students took part in a four-day cultural and tourism promotion tour of Jincheng, visiting Taiyuan University of Technology, Communication University of Shanxi and other universities in the province. Through main-stage presentations, themed markets, symposiums and campus food festivals, the event showcased Jincheng's cultural and tourism resources, urban landscape, distinctive industries and talent policies in a comprehensive way.

The campus-themed market was a key highlight of the tour, bringing Jincheng's intangible cultural heritage crafts, tourism exhibits and local delicacies into the university. The intangible cultural heritage experience zone proved the most popular, where traditional crafts such as paper-cutting, ink rubbing and embroidery drew international students to stop, watch and try their hands.

"What surprised and delighted me most was this rich campus cultural experience," said Lebedeva Sofiia, a 20-year-old Russian student. "We could see and touch things with our own hands and get up close to Jincheng's authentic local craftsmanship."

"I embroidered a scented sachet myself, and I want to give it to a friend," Lebedeva said.

Jessica Eka Setio, a 19-year-old Indonesian student, tried the traditional ink rubbing technique at the scene. She said the biggest challenge was controlling the pressure to keep the pattern clear. She plans to treasure the rubbing work, which she completed under the guidance of the staff.

"Traditional Chinese culture has been well preserved and presented to the outside world in rich and diverse forms," Jessica said.

Chen Shuo contributed to this story.