In a unique cultural endeavor, international students from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Ukraine are collaborating with students from Zhejiang Normal University in the Sanren She ethnic township of Suichang county in East China's Zhejiang province to compile a bilingual handbook from ancient documents. 

The students are digitizing and translating historical land contracts and documents — some dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) — to share Suichang's rich history with a global audience. 

Kateryna, a cultural studies student at the University of York in the UK, emphasized the project's role in bridging cultural gaps, noting it goes beyond translating documents to helping people from different cultures understand one another.

The team meticulously preserves these documents digitally, then adapts them into a format accessible to modern readers. By balancing academic rigor with readability, the handbook aims to convey the essence of She ethnic culture to both Chinese and international readers.

Pan Juqiang, a doctoral student from the College of Humanities at Zhejiang Normal University, said: "In our rural China, these cultural memories, deeply rooted in the land, must not be forgotten. Through digital preservation, modern interpretation, and international communication, we can help more people understand the wisdom and cultural values embedded in the history of China's rural areas." 

Kateryna expressed enthusiasm for the project, noting its potential to serve as a cultural window for international visitors to Suichang and to showcase the township's vibrant cultural heritage.