Overseas students pose for a group photo in Linyi city, East China's Shandong province on June 14. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Nearly 100 overseas students from over 20 countries and regions took a two-day trip to Linyi city, East China's Shandong province on June 14 to experience its rich traditional culture and appreciate its remarkable achievements over the past 40 years.

In Daicun village, Linyi's Lanling county, students learned about how it has dramatically changed from a poor village to a beautiful city with a total output value of 2 billion yuan ($31.25 million).

"I am so surprised that the village can integrate the traditional farming culture with modern technology in a harmonious way,"said Najeebullah, an overseas student from Afghanistan, giving thumbs up to the village's development.

In the afternoon, students visited Linyi Art Museum to experience the charms of Chinese traditional calligraphy. A stunning cheongsam show was also staged offering students a chance to experience Chinese fashion culture.

On June 15, the group arrived at the China International Sino-India Science and Technology Innovation Cluster where they were deeply impressed by the diverse high-tech technologies driven by international cooperation.

Shandong Linggong Construction Machinery Co (SDLG), one of the top 100 China's mechanical industry enterprises in Linyi city, also astonished students with its high-quality products, which are sold all over the world.

The last stop of Linyi tour was Linshu county, famous for its wicker artwork. Students practiced making wicker artwork with the guide of local handicraftsmen and were amazed at the magical nature of the work.

The two-day trip, a part of the "Touch Shandong" series, provided an opportunity for overseas students to get to know Shandong's traditional culture and experience its charms.