Overseas students, teachers tour Nantong online

An online activity to teach overseas Chinese teenagers about Grand Canal culture in Nantong was held from Aug 1 to 3, with students and teachers from 227 Chinese schools in 46 countries and regions taking part.

During the three-day event, they "visited" scenic areas related to Zhang Jian, a local industrial magnate and scholar in modern China, learned about the thousand-year diet culture of Nantong, and admired intangible cultural heritage items in the city.

To make the trip more interesting, a virtual cartoon anchor and a virtual banyao kite – a unique whistling kite in Nantong – guided students and teachers throughout the journey. Chinese-English bilingual captions were also offered to help them better understand the content.

The program has proved popular among overseas and domestic teenagers and was viewed and liked more than two million times globally.

Students and teachers participating in the activity, as well as the students' parents, have also praised for the event.

Yan Hongying, a Chinese teacher in Spain, said the students were very interested in Nantong culture and showcased their works every day.

A principal of a Chinese school in New Zealand, surnamed Ye, said students learned a lot from the activity and are increasingly fond of China and Chinese culture.

Parents from Australia and the United Kingdom also approved of the online event, which showcased natural scenery and offered an immersive experience of the culture along the Grand Canal.