Nearly 40 students from 25 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Singapore, and Portugal, visited Quzhou from July 16 to July 19.

Foreign students pose for a group photo in Quzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Quzhou Southern Confucianism Culture Development Center]

The students visited major landmarks, explored Southern Confucian culture, experienced intangible cultural heritage, and toured beautiful rural areas.

The event was hosted by the International Confucian Association and Beijing Normal University, and organized by the Quzhou Southern Confucianism Culture Development Center.

At the closing ceremony, Kong Lingli, a 76th-generation descendant of Confucius, presented signed copies of The Analects of Confucius to outstanding participants.

Quzhou, the home of Southern Confucianism, has hosted this summer program for the second consecutive year. The initiative aims to deepen global understanding of Chinese culture and contemporary China, and to enhance the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.