NANJING, China, Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "This is my first time in Jiangsu, and I loved the beautiful rural villages," Helena Kočová, a journalist from Czech Republic's Naše Pravda, said during her trip in Jiangsu. "The innovative approach to rural tourism not only attracts people from all over but also drives local development," she observed.

Embark on a picturesque boat journey, delve into the captivating allure of intangible cultural heritage, and revel in an immersive interactive wedding performance. On Nov 3, as part of the 2024 Jiangsu in Focus Media Trip, journalists and social media influencers visited Qianjiadu, a village in Nanjing that has capitalized on its water-town features and intangible cultural heritage to create rich, immersive experiences for visitors.

The media trip, co-organized by the Information Office and Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu's provincial government and China Daily, brought together journalists and internet influencers from countries including Italy, the Czech Republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Egypt, Singapore, and Indonesia.

The journalists and social media influencers visited the cities of Nanjing, Yangzhou, Wuxi and Suzhou from Nov 3 to 7 to learn about Jiangsu's achievements in modernization and high-quality development.

A blend of history and modernity

Jiangsu province, a vital economic and cultural hub in eastern China, exemplifies how history and modernity can harmoniously coexist. The province is home to numerous heritage sites, including historical landmarks such as Nanjing's Great Bao'en Temple Ruins Museum and the Grand Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The innovative blend of history and modernity left a lasting impression on the journalists and social media influencers.

"Walking through the temple virtually, I could truly feel the magnificence of ancient Chinese architecture," Damira Ibranović, a journalist from Radio-Television of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina was amazed at Great Bao'en Temple Ruins Museum's incorporation of Metaverse technology. Using the Metaverse setup, she created her own virtual avatar and "stepped inside" the temple's glazed pagoda.

The interactive exhibits inside the museum, including AR installations and touch screens, allowed visitors to engage with the site's history, architectural details, and cultural significance.

Originally built during the Ming Dynasty, the Great Bao'en Temple, was once the tallest structure in ancient China. In 2015, the museum opened to public and it has not only preserved the historical remains but also facilitated urban renewal.

The media trip included stops at Nanjing Xiaoxihu block, the China Grand Canal Museum of Yangzhou, Chinese autonomous vehicle startup WeRide and Suzhou Industrial Park Exhibition Center. The visits offered firsthand insights into Jiangsu's efforts to advance industrial development through high-end transformation and gave the chance of experiencing the cool mix of rich history and modern life.

Located at the hub of Yangtze River Delta region, the province is contributing significantly for the Chinese and global economies. According to the Jiangsu provincial people's government, Jiangsu province saw its regional gross domestic product (GDP) increase 5.8 percent year on year to 12.82 trillion yuan (about $1.8 trillion) in 2023.