On April 22nd, the Young Explorer Program Hangzhou Tour, jointly organised by Hangzhou International Communication Centre and the European Times UK Branch, came to an end as 14 young people from across the world gathered on the West Lake shore after experiencing Hangzhou’s cultural heritage and modern vitality.
The tour began on April 19th with a romantic journey on Hangzhou’s West Lake. Looking like an ink painting, the West Lakes’ rippling water extended into the mist. Along the journey, tales of The Legend of the White Snake and the Legend of Liang Zhu were shared, sparking heated discussions.
Thomas Sharma, a Chinese student at Cambridge University, said: “The story of Liang Zhu has something in common with Shakespeare’s plays, and Eastern and Western romanticism achieves spiritual resonance here.” Couple blogger Lisandra sitting with her partner Pol shared: “The most beautiful city in the world we have been to is Hangzhou, but today the most beautiful place in Hangzhou is Pol’s arms beside me.”
Following the boat tour, the Young Explorers also visited Xixi National Wetland Park, a model of urban ecological restoration. Under the guidance of professional ecological guides, they learnt about the combination of traditional wetland conversation with modern protection concepts. With reeds fluttering and water flowing under small bridges, there was a chance to enjoy pastoral songs while rowing boats through the waterways of Xixi Wetland.
Also in Hanghou, there was a chance to see the breathtaking live performance of “The Most Memorable Place is Hangzhou”. It brought the poetry of Jiangnan to a climax by blending technology and art. Amelia Sleight, who studies art at Oxford University, loved the performance saying “after I learned about the story of Liang Zhu, I can appreciate the romance of Hangzhou even more.”
The Young Explorers also took on interesting challenges at Hangzhou’s new landmark Wen’er Market, where they divided into groups to purchase local seasonal ingredients and cook authentic Hangzhou cuisine together in an open shared kitchen. It happened to be the birthday of British Young Explorer Leo Nasskau. He said with emotion: “Hangzhou is a city full of warmth in my eyes. I have gained unexpected friendships here.” In the concerto of pots and pans, the Eastern and Western food cultures collided to create a different spark. The classic Hangzhou dish, West Lake Fish in Vinegar, conquered everyone’s taste buds. Max Wheatley from the UK was particularly fond of it: “Why do people always say that Hangzhou is a food desert in China? I really like the taste of West Lake Fish in Vinegar, which is fresh and special to me.”
Hangzhou is home to a wealth of China’s tech talent, known as the “first city of digital economy”. An opportunity to see some of China’s technological innovation up close was not to be missed. At Alibaba’s Xixi Park, they talked about the cutting-edge applications of e-commerce ecology and cloud computing. While the VR glasses experience session of Rokid made everyone exclaim that “science fiction shines into reality”. A visit to the live broadcast giant “Jia Ge Pengyou” Holdings Co., Ltd. allowed the world’s young people to understand how the operation of China’s live broadcast e-commerce supports tens of thousands of orders per second.
To fulfil the program’s goals of building bridges with young people across the world, two important dialogues were held. In the “International Friendship City Dialogue” and “World Youth Speaks” dialogue activities, international and Hangzhou young people held in-depth exchanges on “Urban Sustainable Development and Cultural Integration”. Hangzhou and Leeds sister-city relationship became a focus of the discussion. In the “International Friendship City Dialogue” session, the youth of both sides especially shared the practical experience and unique insights of the two cities in the fields of green community construction, historical and cultural heritage protection, and innovative industrial development.
“In my eyes, Hangzhou is the standard answer for future cities, where technology and humanity will always go hand in hand.” Vakare, a young man from Germany, shared on his experience. Hangzhou’s wisdom of sustainable development will be passed on to a wider audience through the vision of more young people around the world.
Written by Liangyi Yu and Jiaying Yu. If you liked this article why not read: Spot China Young Explorer Program Sets Off to Shanghai and Hangzhou
