International youth friendship camp brings global students to Suzhou

Participants of the 20th Shanghai International Youth Interactive Friendship Camp visited Suzhou on Wednesday. Nearly 110 young people from 17 countries (including China) embarked on a cultural journey through the historic city.

The group started the day with a boat tour along the ancient moat, where they also enjoyed a traditional pingtan performance (storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect). After arriving in Panmen Gate, they were guided around the scenic area and learned about Suzhou's over 2,500 years of urban history and its enduring cultural legacy.

"This is my first time being on an ancient gate. The architecture and the scenery are really cool. I also liked how we got to listen to pingtan before on an ancient canal," Liam from the U.S. was captivated by the ancient side of the city.

William, who is from San Marino in Southern Europe, found the architecture quite different from that in his country: " I really like Panmen Gate because it makes me see all the differences between Suzhou and my hometown . It's a little bit strange, but at the same time, very interesting for me. I'm looking forward to seeing more places that can make me say 'wow' in this trip."

Participants try to build a toy with traditional Chinese mortise-and-tenon joints.

In the afternoon, the group visited the Suzhou Silk Museum, where they were introduced to the history of Chinese silk and Suzhou's centuries-old silk culture. The visit concluded with a hands-on workshop in which participants made silk fans, offering them a firsthand appreciation of the craftsmanship behind one of Suzhou's most celebrated traditional industries.

"The museum really surprised me. It was an amazing experience. I like making the fan, too. I would definitely do it again and it was really so fun and so peaceful doing it with your friends and laughing," said Mihailo from Montenegro.

During the visit, local volunteers provided interpretation, guided tours and on-site assistance. Their interactions with the international participants helped foster deeper communication and bridge cultural differences.

As a key part of the Shanghai International Youth Interactive Friendship Camp program, today's visit to Suzhou offered young people from around the world a chance to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture while strengthening international exchange and promoting people-to-people ties.

By iSuzhou reporter Zhao Wenlu (intern)

Source：iSuzhou