Visitors pose for a group photo at Li Yu Style Street in Lanxi. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

Six international content creators from the United States, Mexico, Russia, and Ireland visited Lanxi in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on Oct 7 and 8 to explore Li Yu's art of living.

Li Yu (1611-1680) was a dramatist of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties from Lanxi, regarded as the "William Shakespeare of the East."

Xianqing Ouji, one of Li's famous works, is a collection of essays on opera, garden design, food, health, and leisure. Often described as a guide to the Chinese art of living, the book remains a core cultural symbol for the city.

On Oct 7, the group visited Li Yu Style Street, where they watched an immersive drama depicting the meeting between Li Yu and Qiao Ji, a performer in his household troupe. They also tried traditional Chinese medicine therapies.

At the Lanxi Cultural Center, they joined an intangible cultural heritage food market, handicraft workshops, and traditional games such as pitch-pot. In the evening, they watched a performance of Three Battles with the White-boned Demon, a classic Wuju Opera, at Lanxi Theater.

Visitors enjoy morning tea at Youbu Ancient Town. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

The next day, the visitors enjoyed morning tea in Youbu Ancient Town, a local tradition with centuries of history. They then went to Zhuge Bagua village, known for its layout based on the eight trigrams, where they observed an ancestral ceremony held by descendants of Zhuge Liang, a renowned ancient strategist.

"Lanxi is a wonderful place full of history and culture," Luke O'Farrell from Ireland said. "Pictures and videos can't do this place the justice it deserves."

Later, they toured Jiezi Garden and viewed an exhibition presenting a miniature scene of Li's aesthetics of everyday life, centered on clothing, calligraphy, painting, and more.

After the visit, Kurochkina Arina from Russia said, "I feel completely immersed in the elegance of Li Yu's aesthetic world. My heart is full of the charm of Lanxi."