Overseas students dress in hanfu, traditional Chinese robe-like attire, and wait to have a red dot painted between their eyebrows as a symbol of their search for intellectual enlightenment. [Photo/Xinhua]

The historical city of Nanjing in Jiangsu province welcomed a group of students from Belt and Road countries taking part in a “Silk Road Youth Tour” on Nov 11. 

The event, co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Jiangsu provincial government, was attended by 60 overseas students from 11 prestigious local schools including Nanjing University, Southeast University and Jiangsu University. 

Gathering at the Grand Baoen Temple, a sacred land of gratitude, students dressed in hanfu, traditional Chinese robe-like attire, and sat up properly to experience solemn ancient culture. 

They took part in a series of traditional rites passed down for centuries, such as “zhusha qizhi”, which means painting a red dot between the eyebrows as a symbol of the student’s search for intellectual enlightenment. 

The students also got a five-day in-depth tour around Jiangsu’s central cities of Nanjing, Taizhou and Nantong, visiting local museums, memorial halls of renowned figures, and local industrial parks.