“Go Jiangsu” fans enjoy Suqian’s special charm

Foreigners attending the “Go Jiangsu” trip, organized by the Information Office of Jiangsu People’s Government, visited Siyang and Sihong of Suqian on July 17 and 18.

Eleven foreigners from the United States, Poland, Bangladesh, South Africa and Ghana, experienced intangible cultural heritages, visited the wetland, learned the history of Shuanggou distillery, and tasted the liquor, developing a deeper understanding of cultural, ecological and economic charms in Suqian. The expats, selected from followers of Jiangsu’s accounts on overseas social media, are expected to help promote the province in their home countries.

Tracie, an English teacher from the US, has been living in Jiangsu for three years. While enjoying the beautiful landscape and interesting cultural heritages, she also praised the development of local economy. “The government makes full use of their abundant local resources to help develop local industries, creating more jobs for villagers. Young parents don’t have to work in big cities and they have more time with their family.”

Sohan (R 2) showed great interest in the local Huaihai Opera.

Sohan from Bangladesh is going to be a junior in Yangzhou University this September. He was very interested in the local Huaihai Opera, although he could barely understand the dialect. “The moves and expressions explain a lot.” He said that he liked cycling along the Grand Canal during spare time. He watched a Yangju Opera once during the cycling, and has developed great interest in local operas in Jiangsu ever since. Sohan had never been to Suqian before, and he said he would share his experience with friends. His words were echoed by Natalia from Poland who also visited this place for the first time. Natalia is pursuing her master degree in Nanjing University. She spotted “Jiangsu China” on Facebook once, and followed its posts from time to time. “Every city in China has their unique features. I want to visit other cities when time permits.”

Since the launch in January 2015, Jiangsu’s Facebook page and Twitter account have attracted nearly two million fans. The social media platforms focus on topics such as the economic development, people’s stories and foreigners in Jiangsu through photos, videos, interactive live broadcast and the combination of online and offline activities. The social media accounts tell foreign audience the changes of Jiangsu, show the international image of the province as a beautiful region, and plays a bridge of communication for people between Jiangsu and all countries.