The China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) held the "Youth Development for a Shared Future" summer camp in Beijing and Xi'an cities from July 7 to 12.
The summer camp drew the attendance of 80 young people and teachers from 12 counties, which include Armenia, Gambia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Oman, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Spain, Thailand and Uzbekistan. They gained a deep understanding of the history of the Silk Road and the modern value of the Silk Road Spirit, witnessed China's robust economic and social development, learned more about Chinese history and culture as well as technological innovation and application, further deepened mutual understanding and affinity, and forged great momentum for the building of a shared future.
Themed "Forging a Dream of the Silk Road and Striding Together for a Bright Future", the international youth delegation visited an exhibition of cultural relics associated with the ancient Silk Road in the Shaanxi History Museum, holding a dialogue with the past over 2,000 years ago. The summer camp also brought them to the China-Europe Freight Train Service Center in Xi'an, where they personally experienced the vibrant business transactions between China and European countries and the closer economic and trade ties between China and other nations involved in the building of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and became impressed with touching stories behind the BRI implementation.
The international youth delegation toured around the Palace Museum, the Terracotta Warriors of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, the Shaanxi History Museum, the Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling (Honorary President of the People's Republic of China), and the Juyong Pass of the Great Wall. They also attended such experiential activities as traditional Chinese medicine (TCF), dyeing, ceramics and Peking Opera in the China Soong Ching Ling Science & Culture Center for Young People, strolled across the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City (a popular tourist destination and commercial street) and watched the performance of the OMNI Chang'an (China's first large-scale site-specific conceptual theatre), admiring splendid and glorious Chinese civilization and special appeal brought by the combination between traditional Chinese culture and modern technologies.
Additionally, the international youth delegation also visited the China Science & Technology Museum and an exhibition venues of leading Chinese artificial intelligence company iFlytek in Beijing, and came to the NEV plants of Shaanxi Automobile Group as well as Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) in Xi'an where they engaged in interactions with robots and further appreciated the rapid development of China's science and technology.
During a visit to the High School Affiliated to the XJTU, the international youth delegation held warm exchanges with their Chinese peers, shared with each other about learning and living experience, and built friendship.
Members of the international youth delegation talked about their feelings and gains about the summer camp at an exchange gathering titled "the Silk Road in My Eyes". They said that the Chinese tour left a deep impression on them in terms of its history, modernity, technological innovation, traditional culture, and such virtues of the Chinese people as warmth, friendliness, hard work, unity, promising life and happiness.
Noting that they will always cherish the memorable moments spent and valuable friendship forged in China, they showed unanimous support to the BRI, underscored the importance of the Silk Road in the history to the people-to-people exchanges worldwide, and added that they will inherit and carry forward the Silk Road Spirit - "peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit" - through the BRI. They called on the international community to further enhance connectivity and expand cooperation and agreed that they will continue with the participation of relevant international youth exchange activities, promote the friendship and affinity between people of different nations, and support the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
