Students from Taizhou and Aral pose for a photo on the vessel Hai Xun 0751. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

Twenty students from Aral, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, went on a week-long journey to Taizhou in Zhejiang province from July 6 to 13, experiencing the sea for the first time and deepening their understanding of Chinese culture through a cross-regional youth exchange program.

Students from Taizhou and Aral boarded the vessel Hai Xun 0751 to visit Dachen Island and explore key sites including Guoqing Temple, Ziyang Street, and the Hehe Cultural Park.

For many, this was their first time seeing the ocean. At each stop, the youth from different ethnic backgrounds reflected on shared values and histories.

The visit to the Hehe Cultural Park on Tiantai Mountain introduced them to stories of harmony and mutual respect. Students discovered connections between local heritage crafts — such as the intricate "one-vine-weaving" technique — and the broader idea of ethnic unity.