In one episode of a five-part travel series produced by China Media Group (CMG) recently, two hosts visited an ethnic Kazakh settlement along the Duku Highway and the ancient city of Kuqa in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, where they experienced local traditions including yurt building and copperware craftsmanship.
The 561-km Duku Highway connects Dushanzi in northern Xinjiang to Kuqa in the south, running through various types of landscapes including canyons, forests, lakes and grasslands.
Along this scenic route, one host stopped at a Kazakh settlement, where he joined residents in building a yurt and sampled locally prepared foods.
Meanwhile, the other host, accompanied by a local guide, traveled to Kuqa, where he visited local artisans to learn the craft of handmade copperware and tasted naan, a type of leavened flat bread and a staple food for people of ethnic groups in Xinjiang.
CMG hosts explore yurt building, copper craftsmanship in northwest China's Xinjiang
Visiting officers and sailors from the frigate Tran Hung Dao (Hull 015) of the Vietnam People's Navy and their counterparts of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy have carried out multiple exchange activities in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province to further enhance friendship and deepen mutual trust.
The frigate arrived in Guangzhou on Monday for a four-day goodwill visit.
Officers and sailors from the two navies conducted cultural exchanges by showcasing traditional culture through folk art performances.
During a welcoming reception dinner, Chinese naval officers and sailors performed traditional artistic programs such as a guzheng solo and Sichuan opera face-changing, while their Vietnamese counterparts performed the traditional conical hat dance and sang classic Chinese songs.
At the naval port, officers and sailors from the two navies made reciprocal visits.
On board the Chinese naval frigate Enshi (Hull 627), a Chinese guide explained the vessel's weaponry and equipment, daily training routines, and naval culture to their Vietnamese counterparts.
On the sports field, the two sides also held a friendly tug-of-war competition and professional exchanges in line-throwing and knot-tying.
During the visit, the Vietnamese side will also host a deck reception, and the Chinese side has specially arranged for the Vietnamese naval officers and sailors to visit the former site of the Vietnam Youth Revolutionary Comrades Association to recall their shared history.
"Whether it's cultural and sports exchanges or ship visits, all these activities are continuously enhancing our mutual trust. I hope there will be more opportunities in the future to carry forward this friendship," said Yang Jiangtao, a sailor serving with a unit of the PLA Southern Theater Command Navy.
Chinese, Vietnamese navies hold exchange activities in Guangzhou