HEYUAN GUANGDONG, December 26 — Invited by the Futian District Team supporting Heping County, HITSZ’s College of Future Studies organized 8 international students for a rural exchange and support tour in Heping County, Heyuan City, Guangdong. The tour combined hiking, hot spring experiences and targeted support in Daba Town.

In Heshui Town, students immersed in traditional Chinese village scenery, exploring ancient sites, tea hills and rice fields. They experienced Hakka culture (a Chinese ethnic subgroup) via a local banquet, watched intangible cultural heritage (ICH) displays and traditional fire forging (a folk craft). HITSZ students’ Mongolian dance “The Nomad” was well-received at the banquet.

In Daba Town, the group attended an exchange forum, sharing hometown development experiences. They visited HITSZ-supported projects, including a cultural wall, “Unity Woods”, irrigation ditch and Wang Yangming Study Center (focused on the philosopher’s ideas).

They also interacted with local middle school students, sharing personal stories and cultures, enriching rural students’ cross-cultural experiences. This tour facilitated cultural exchange, allowing international students to witness China’s Rural Revitalization Strategy and Shenzhen’s pairing assistance outcomes.