International students discuss ideas at a woodcarving workshop. [Photo by Wu Shuai/Tide News]

Qiantong Ancient Town in Ningbo's Ninghai county welcomed an international burst of creativity this summer as French and Chinese students teamed up to help local businesses reimagine their traditional brands.

The five-day program, organized by Zhejiang Wanli University, brought together 19 French students and 12 Chinese students to tackle real-world challenges faced by merchants in the ancient town.

Their first stop was a family-run seaweed pastry shop, where they identified outdated packaging, weak brand recognition, and a limited online presence as key obstacles.

The students proposed a complete branding upgrade, from redesigned packaging and visual identity to new promotional strategies. During a livestream hosted by the team, French students introduced the pastries in Chinese, drawing more than 1,000 viewers and generating numerous online orders. The shop owner said the experience opened his eyes to new ways of sharing traditional flavors with younger consumers.

The collaboration also extended to a local woodcarving shop, where students created multilingual welcome posters and information cards to make traditional craftsmanship more accessible to overseas visitors. Inspired by Qiantong's historic architecture, they incorporated local stone window patterns and traditional motifs into designs for tickets, maps, postcards, and cultural and creative products, with support from a local woodcarving artisan.

Beyond supporting local businesses, the project also provided valuable opportunities for cultural exchange: French students experienced daily life in rural China through traditional crafts and local customs, while Chinese students gained firsthand experience applying design concepts to real commercial needs.