On December 19, the 2025 "Reading Jiangsu" thematic event for international students, with its "Reading Nantong — Zhang Jian's Hometown, Nantong's New Journey" special session, was launched at Nantong University. The event was hosted by Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, co-organized by the Foreign Students Education Management Research Committee of Jiangsu Higher Education Association, and undertaken by Nantong University. As a signature program for Education on China's National Conditions for foreign students in Jiangsu, the Nantong session centered on "Zhang Jian culture" and attracted over one hundred international students from 16 universities across the province and 25 countries. Four international students from NJUIT, accompanied by Gao Guoqiang, a faculty member from the School of Mechanical Engineering, participated in the event and gained an immersive appreciation of Zhang Jian culture and the new charm of the river-sea region.
During the two-day "learning journey on foot," the international students traced the origins of industrial entrepreneurship, felt the pulse of the city, and experienced its cultural appeal, serving as vibrant ambassadors for mutual learning between Chinese and other civilizations. "Reading Jiangsu" adheres to the philosophy of "reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles." The 2025 program planned visits to five cities — Lianyungang, Taizhou, Wuxi, Suqian, and Nantong — each centered on a distinctive regional theme to help international students unlock Jiangsu's historical heritage and contemporary vitality. Nantong, which combines the historical distinction of being "China's first modern city" with the dynamic development of a new-era river-sea gateway, served as the final stop of this year's program, offering international students a vivid case study for understanding China's pursuit of "industrial prosperity and cultural enrichment."
During the event, the international students attended a thematic lecture on "China's First Modern City — Nantong," tracing the origins of industrial entrepreneurship. They then visited Zhongtian Technology Group and China Merchants Heavy Industry (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., where they experienced the innovative strength of Chinese manufacturing at Zhongtian Technology and expressed admiration for Nantong's industrial heritage in "river-sea shipbuilding" at China Merchants Heavy Industry. The following day, an intangible cultural heritage experience tour began. At Rugao Shuihui Garden, the international students admired exquisite potted landscapes, took photographs, and inquired about the design philosophy and history of the garden architecture. The puppet show at the garden's intangible cultural heritage exhibition area particularly ignited their enthusiasm.
The NJUIT international students expressed that the trip to Nantong was an unforgettable journey of culture, learning, and friendship. They will bring back what they saw, heard, and felt in Nantong to their home countries, sharing these experiences with family and friends, and using their personal stories to present an authentic and multidimensional picture of Nantong's new development, Jiangsu's story, and China's progress to the world. The International Education College will continue to actively participate in various Chinese-foreign cultural exchange activities, building more platforms for international students to experience China and understand Jiangsu, supporting them in broadening their horizons, forging friendships, and achieving personal growth through cross-cultural exchanges, and enabling more young international people to become ambassadors of Chinese culture and promoters of friendship between China and other countries.
中文原标题：国际教育学院组织来华留学生参加“悦读江苏”之“悦读南通”活动
12月19日，由江苏省教育厅主办，江苏省高等教育学会外国留学生教育管理研究委员会协办，南通大学承办的2025年外国留学生“悦读江苏”主题活动之“悦读南通——张謇故里·南通新程”专场活动在南通大学启动。作为江苏外国留学生中国国情教育的标志性活动，此次南通站以“张謇文化”为核心，吸引了省内16所高校、25个国家的百余名留学生参与，我校4名来华留学生在机械工程学院教师高国强带领下参加了此次活动，沉浸式感悟张謇文化与江海新韵。
在为期两天的“行走式研学”里，留学生们溯源实业初心、触摸城市脉搏、感受文化魅力，成为中外文明互鉴的鲜活使者。“悦读江苏”秉持“读万卷书、行万里路”理念，2025年度规划了连云港、泰州、无锡、宿迁、南通五城行程，围绕不同地域特色关键词，助留学生解锁江苏历史底蕴与时代风采。南通兼具“中国近代第一城”的历史荣光与新时代江海门户的发展活力，是本次活动最后一站，为留学生提供了读懂中国“实业兴邦、文化铸魂”的生动样本。
活动中，留学生们聆听《中国近代第一城——南通》主题讲座，溯源实业初心。随后，走进中天科技集团与招商局重工（江苏）有限公司，在中天科技感受中国制造业的创新实力，在招商局重工对南通“江海造舰”的工业底蕴赞叹不已。次日，非遗体验之旅开启，在如皋水绘园，留学生们欣赏精巧盆景，拍照留念，询问园林建筑理念与历史。水绘园非遗展演区的木偶戏表演，更是点燃了他们的热情。
我校留学生们纷纷表示，此次南通之行是一次难忘的文化、学习、友谊之旅。他们将把在南通的所见所闻、所感所悟带回自己的国家，分享给身边的家人和朋友，以亲身经历向世界讲述真实立体的南通新貌、江苏故事与中国发展。国际教育学院将继续积极参与各类中外文化交流活动，为留学生搭建更多感知中国、了解江苏的平台，助力他们在跨文化交流中增长见识、收获友谊、实现成长，让更多国际青年成为中国文化的传播者、中外友好的促进者。
