Foreign students put on a Chinese shadow puppet show at the event.[Photo/Culturalink.gov.cn]

The annual 'Scholarship Trip' for foreign students organized by the Chinese Cultural Department kicked off in Beijing on August , facilitating deep cultural exchange.

Around 60 foreign talents from China Cultural Centers in 16 countries, including Mauritius, Benin, France, Germany, South Korea and Pakistan, will spend the next 11 days traveling around China and interacting with the locals. Up to 15 cities and provinces, such as Beijing, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Yunnan, Sichuan and other regions, are on the itinerary.

Yang Zhi, deputy party secretary for External Cultural Relations of the Chinese Culture Ministry, made a speech at the opening ceremony of the event, stressing the importance of a better understanding about traditional Chinese culture. Some foreign students also performed their favorite Chinese art forms, such as martial arts and classical Chinese dance.

A series of interesting cultural activities were held after the ceremony, including a shadow puppet show, Sichuan face switching show, Chinese calligraphy and a paper-cutting workshop.