The launch ceremony of a reading event for international students is held in Nanjing. [Photo/jschina.com.cn]

A reading event for foreign students in East China's Jiangsu province was launched in Nanjing on May 13, with a total of 252 students from 56 countries participating.

Five universities, including Nanjing Normal University, Soochow University, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou Polytechnic Institute, and Jiangsu Normal University, will host a series of activities until October, during which foreign students will read books, poems, prose, and other literary works related to Jiangsu culture.

Gao Feng, dean of the School of Chinese Language and Literature at Nanjing Normal University, said that foreign students' perception of Jiangsu and China plays a significant role in promoting cultural exchanges. "Southern and northern areas of Jiangsu have their own cultural features. The reading event provides students with a great opportunity to visit different places and experience Jiangsu culture," Gao said.

Liubas Irina, a Russian student in her second year at Nanjing Normal University, said she has learned about ancient Nanjing through the works of poets such as Li Bai, Wang Anshi, and Du Mu. "I hope that other international students can better understand Jiangsu through visits and reading, appreciate the long history and cultural heritage of this land, get along with locals, and promote Chinese culture."