Alexandr Bulat (L) of Moldova learns to play Guqin, seven-stringed plucked instrument, with the help of Wang Ting, a researcher of Sichuan Conservatory of Music at the Village of the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan)

With abundant cultural activities provided in the Chengdu Universiade Village, student-athletes and delegation officials have the opportunity to taste traditional Chinese culture daily.

Following the advice from her colleague in the FISU finance department, Laurence Beney visited the Village to experience rich cultural activities after work and spent a delightful afternoon.

Accompanied by the sound of Guqin, a seven-stringed plucked instrument similar to the zither, Beney practiced Taiji under the guidance of two instructors after visiting the interactive experience center where Chengdu's intangible cultural heritage is displayed.

"Chengdu is very nice. I have discovered lots of history here in the downtown museum," Beney said. "The Village is just 'wow'."

Though she expected Chengdu to be a crowded city filled with skyscrapers, Beney found that it is as beautiful as a huge garden instead and noted that the landscape is impressive, and people are friendly.

In the interactive experience center, Lucie Kalhousova and her teammates on the Czech women's volleyball team were trying calligraphy, writing their names in Chinese with brushes.

As beginners, Lucie showed her masterpiece to the camera with pride and excitement.

"We've never tried it before, so it's lucky for everyone to experience it," Kalhousova said, adding that this is a relaxation.

At the entrance of the cultural bazaar, Brazilian taekwondo player Lucas Krishna was playing Chinese chess with a local, and his skill shocked the natives.

Krishna revealed that his father, who had taken a three-month training in Chinese chess years ago in Hangzhou, taught him the traditional Chinese game at the age of 10, two years before he had started taekwondo training.

"My dad loves China; the people here are nice," Krishna added.

Wearing a mask decorated with a Taiji pattern that he drew himself, Indian swimmer Gowda Aneesh rambled in the cultural bazaar.

Aneesh plans to participate in 10 swimming events in Chengdu, and he will also compete at the Hangzhou Asian Games. "I'm looking forward to the upcoming travel there," he noted.

"It's gorgeous, like traveling through 3,000 years to witness the fusion of culture and emotion, musical instruments, and human voices. It makes you feel peaceful and harmonious," said David Anthony Knopp, deputy head of the American delegation, while describing his feelings after enjoying a music party on Tuesday.

"I am also very interested in other cultures in China, such as dance, music, and food. These are all the methods that people have found through thousands of years to express our emotions," Knopp added.

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