Students pose for a group photo in front of a striking mural on a village wall. [Photo/Tide News]

A group of 17 international students and teachers from Quzhou College of Technology, including students from the VTAR Institute in Malaysia, embarked on a cultural study tour in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, on July 4.

The tour began at the Archaeological Site Park of Gumie State, where more than 1,000 artifacts at the Archaeological Site Museum of Gumie State offer a window into the region's past. Visitors observed painted pottery dating back 3,000 years, as well as jade ornaments and bronze artifacts, with many stopping to take photographs.

The group then traveled to Fudong village in Qujiang district, where they visited the Xitan Natural Village Youth Innovation Center.

The village has experienced the transformation from a small fishing community three decades ago into a rural tourism destination driven by infrastructure upgrades and cultural and industrial development.

The students explored the village with their cameras in tow, documenting rural lanes, agricultural landscapes, public art installations, and community spaces. A livestreaming studio in the village also attracted strong interest, with local hosts promoting agricultural products online as orders streamed in.

The group also visited the Qujiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, where they observed exhibits before taking part in a hands-on workshop to make Duze osmanthus cakes, a provincial intangible cultural heritage item.

Malaysian student Ye Yuanyong said the visit offered new perspectives. "It is very different from what I have seen in Malaysia, and I found a lot of inspiration here," he said.