Children write poetry during a workshop. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Writing poetry is of great significance to children's growth and future. A child's world is small and offers limited choices, but writing poetry can provide them with an emotional outlet, helping them realize their potential and value," says Lan Lan, who has also been active in modern poetry education for children for years.

Song Yumo, a mother of a 10-year-old girl from Shenzhen in Guangdong province, took her daughter to visit the poetry beach on June 1. A poem written by one of her daughter's classmates was engraved on a rock.

"After seeing the rocks, my daughter told me that she would have her poetry engraved on rocks here one day," says Song, adding that her daughter has kept writing poems for months.

In the eye of poem translator George O'Connell, the feeling of being recognized is very important for children. Through their own creations, children can also gain the recognition and respect of others, which is crucial for their mental health.

Qiu Zhijie, an artist, teaches children how to carve their poems onto rocks. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"The project is rewarding children and giving them public recognition. That's very important. These little poets are clever, have good skills and talent. Their poetic creations give us a way to see the world," says O'Connell, who helps translate the Chinese children's poetry into English with his wife.

To write poetry is not easy in an era when people's attention spans are easily captured by the internet and electronic devises, O'Connell says. Poetry creation requires engaging in high-level intellectual activities, "a process of composition drawing on the imagination and the brain, rather than being reduced to what the camera can capture".