Longkou city in Shandong province has been actively promoting cultural exchange and fostering a deeper understanding between Chinese and foreign cultures.

The city recently organized an event themed "Listening to Jiaodong Stories, Experiencing Intangible Cultural Heritage" on Dongjiang street to showcase Chinese culture to 20 esteemed foreign guests.

During the event, the participants had the opportunity to learn about Chinese paper-cutting under the guidance of Wang Meiyu, a city-level inheritor of intangible cultural heritage from Yantai.

Paper-cutting is a traditional folk art that involves intricate cutting and carving of patterns on paper using simple tools like scissors or knives. It is a popular art form in China due to its visually striking imagery and profound cultural significance. This art form reflects the social consciousness, moral values, practical wisdom, and aesthetic inclinations of the Chinese people, and contributes to cognitive development, symbolism, expression, entertainment, and social interaction.

"This experience has provided me with a renewed perspective, allowing me to witness and partake in the intricacies of paper-cutting. The warmth and hospitality of the people in Longkou have left a lasting impression, and I earnestly hope to engage in similar activities in the future," said an international student.

Longkou city is also planning to organize a series of experiential activities, including tours of ancient streets and traditional dwellings of Longkou, for foreign friends.

Twenty foreign guests participate in the event showcasing intangible cultural heritage. [Photo by Xie Hongyu for chinadaily.com.cn]