Fifty ethnic Chinese students from abroad attend a roots-seeking camp in Tongan district, Xiamen, Fujian province, on July 3. [Photo/xmnn.com]

Tongan district in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, welcomed 50 ethnic Chinese students from abroad to a roots-seeking summer camp on July 3. 

The 12-day event will start from Xiamen Donghai Institute, where the youngsters can team up with local students to practice paper-cutting, dumpling-making and Chinese knots. They will then go on to explore the scenic areas of the 1,700-year-old district, such as Beichen Mountain and Fantian Temple, while appreciating traditional music forms like Nanyin and Gezai operas. They will then get the chance to witness other Chinese cultural traditions and experience the great changes that have taken place in Tongan. 

Fan Rongbin, a local official, said he hoped that the campers would share what they have seen, heard and learned in Tongan with their families and friends and serve as ambassadors of people-to-people exchange and promoters of Chinese culture. 

A student shows his participation card. [Photo/xmnn.com]

Known as a place of origin of overseas Chinese and Taiwan compatriots, Tongan is home to more than 3 million ethnic Chinese and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Chinese, who are now living in 43 countries and regions around the world. 

The district attaches importance to close contact with overseas Chinese through friendship associations and exchange activities for teenagers. 

The event was organized by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.