To further help international students perceive the traditional Chinese culture, gain a deeper understanding of the history of Guidong, and experience the achievements of China’s green development and rural revitalization, 17 international students from Hunan Normal University visited Guidong from July 9 to 15 for a study tour.

 

They immersed themselves in the tea culture and Guidong’s intangible cultural heritage through on-site visits, dialogues with inheritors, discussions and exchanges, and DIY, and conducted international exchanges and publicity of traditional Chinese culture.

 

At the Lilo Tea Sightseeing Park and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Tea Museum, they exchanged ideas with Jiang Qiugui, an inheritor of handmade tea, a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage project. They experienced handmade tea and had in-depth understanding and exchanges on its new development format.

 

“I think the tea is bittersweet, and it will be the best gift for my family,” said an Indonesian student.

 

 

 

The “Liuyueliu” Guidong Hemiao Festival, which is a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage item, was held at Xiadong Village of Dongluo Township. On the site, there were various activities such as offering sacrifices, welcoming the dragon, performing the dragon dance, worshiping the field god, catching insects and eliminating pests, taking a boat ride, and turning the dragon back to the sea, allowing international students to experience the profound traditional culture of Guidong.

 

“I have watched a dragon dance performance on TV, but I have never seen this kind of dragon made of straw, accompanied by dance, waist drums, etc. It’s really astonishing,” said a Turkmenistan student.

 

“What impressed me was catching insects and singing folk songs, which symbolize bumper harvest and good weather this year,” said another Indonesian student.

 

 

 

Besides, in Qingzhu Village of Oujiang Town, a beautiful rural demonstration village, they visited the birdwatching platform and the Nanling Mountain Natural Science Museum, listened to the stories about the great changes in Guidong, learned the spirit of poverty alleviation, and felt the achievements of the rural revitalization strategy.

 

“The weather forecast shows that the temperature in Changsha is 40 ℃, but it is only 20 ℃ in Qingzhu Village. I’ll recommend Guidong to more relatives and friends,” said a Vietnamese student.

 

 

 

In recent years, based on ecological advantages, Guidong County has made efforts to explore Red resources, and improve the living environment, in a bid to create a “world wellness tourism destination”.

 

In the first half of 2024, the county received a total of 1.1607 million tourists at home and abroad, with the total tourism revenue of 1.328 billion yuan.