Expats dressed in traditional Han costumes pose for a selfie in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, on Sept 14. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

On the first day of the trip, the foreigners also visited companies in the Nantong National High-tech Industrial Development Zone where they learned about the development of the advanced manufacturing industry in the city.

"I took a lot of photos, but I think the photos can't describe the meaning of the culture of the city," said Javanmardi Ehsan, an Iranian professor. "I think the city can be a symbol of culture of Jiangsu."

On the second day, the expats visited Nantong Museum, the first public museum founded by Chinese people, and learned about the merits of its founder Zhang Jian, who was an industrial magnate and scholar in modern China. 

The expats also dressed up in traditional Han costumes and tried their hands at making Nantong-style embroidery and playing the guqin, a seven-string traditional Chinese instrument.

"Go Jiangsu" is a brand event co-organized by Jiangsu province and China Daily with the aim of letting more expats experience the culture of the eastern Chinese province. Since 2018, more than 100 foreigners have participated in the activity.