A traditional Chinese style night show is staged in Lianyungang, Jiangsu. [Photo/Xinhua Daily]

Twenty-six international visitors from 19 countries, including France, the UK, and Turkey, recently gathered in Lianyungang to experience the unique charm of the "Home of the Monkey King" and its rich historical and cultural heritage.

Lianyungang is home to a wealth of intangible cultural heritage, with 991 representative items across four levels, including six national-level and 70 provincial-level items. The city's ancient Minzhu Road, a historical street lined with displays of intangible heritage items at the provincial level and above, welcomed the visitors.

At the Lianyungang Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, located on the road, they marveled at various cultural displays, including paper cutting, ceramics, and dough figurines.

At the heritage experience center, local artisan Zhao Guomei demonstrated the intricate art of dough figurine making. The visitors were captivated as Zhao skillfully transformed dough into lifelike figures, including a small Monkey King holding a peach.

Zhao, who runs a dough figurine art studio with her daughter, shared her passion for preserving and pushing forward this art form. "I want to make Haizhou dough figurines a unique brand, bringing them out of Lianyungang and into households across the country," she said.

The cultural exploration continued with a performance at a theater, where visitors were immersed in the traditional Huaihai Opera. They were struck by the unique Chinese-style charm of the performances. "The show felt like it transported us hundreds of years back in time," said a spectator from India.

At the Lianyungang Higher Vocational Technical College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, visitors were introduced to the ancient practices of Chinese medicine, trying their hands at making herbal sachets, experiencing acupuncture, and learning about the therapeutic benefits of traditional methods. A French student at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics expressed her fascination, saying, "After a massage, I felt much lighter and truly experienced the unique charm of Chinese medicine."

A girl learns how traditional Chinese medicine is prepared at the Lianyungang Higher Vocational Technical College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. [Photo/Xinhua Daily]

This cultural exchange underscores Lianyungang's rich heritage and its ongoing efforts to preserve and promote traditional arts and knowledge, fostering global appreciation for its historical treasures.