Int'l students explore Suzhou's past and present

The "2025 New Discovery of the City by International Students in Suzhou" was held on December 19th. The annual event, co-hosted by the Information Office and the Foreign Affairs Office of the Suzhou Municipal People's Government and the International Office of Soochow University and organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of Wuzhong District, was attended by over 20 foreign students from countries including Morocco, Iran, the U.S. and Australia, who aimed to learn more about Suzhou's history and culture through on-site visits and in-depth experiences.

The students first visited Hengjing Subdistrict in Wuzhong to explore new business models driven by the integrated development of agriculture, culture and tourism. They toured the Yijinshao Poetry and Wine Field, where they learned about an innovative industry that combines the intangible cultural heritage of distilled rice wine making with modern agricultural products.

After lunch, the group participated in an immersive traditional Chinese cultural program - making incense seals. Surrounded by fragrances, they experienced the refined lifestyle and philosophical wisdom of ancient Chinese literati.

The students then visited the Museum of Wu, where rich collections of cultural relics provided an overview of the thousands of years of Wu culture, allowing them to deeply appreciate the long history and profound depth of Chinese civilization.

Their final stop was Baodai Bridge and the Grand Canal Park, two important spots along the Grand Canal, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Walking along the ancient bridge and gazing over the splendid canal, the students learned about how Suzhou promotes the protection, inheritance and utilization of Grand Canal culture and its vision of harmonious coexistence between tradition and modernity.

By iSuzhou reporter Gao Yuqing
Source：iSzhou