"More spectacular than I ever imagined!" exclaimed American historian David Ringo Miano.

That's as he peered through a 5,000-year-old jade disc's perfect aperture at the Liangzhu Museum, located in Yuhang district of Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, near the UNESCO-listed Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. 

He was among the 10 international "Hangzhou Seekers" — including scholars, artists and influencers from 10 countries — invited by Hangzhou International Communication Center for a five-day immersive journey on mutual learning among civilizations in Hangzhou this June.

At the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, a black pottery jar etched with cryptic symbols ignited cross-cultural fascination. Greek anthropologist Christina Papageorgopoulou noted the striking parallels.  "The patterns mirror motifs on contemporaneous Greek pottery," she declared in excitement.

Hangzhou seekers gaze with reverence and amazement at a jade disc in the museum.

"Like Egyptians, they tamed rivers with brilliance," said Egyptian curator Remonda Fayez Michel, who found spiritual kinship in ancient hydro-engineering.

The visitors meet up to reflect on West Lake.

In Hangzhou, West Lake's misty rain became cinematic gold for Italian documentary maker Leonardo Cinieri Lombroso. Turkish journalist Tunc Akkoc, reciting Chinese poet Su Shi's 11th-century verses, mused: "Poetry breathes soul into these waters". 

In the tea museum, Thai conductor Kittiporn Tantrarungroj traced his Chinese ancestry by whisking the character "Chen" in matcha foam, while German photographer Gunther Riehle captured emerald tea terraces through downpours.

One of the international visitors dons hanfu apparel to really get into the spirit of the Zhejiang-style guqin, a seven-stringed plucked instrument.

Canadian influencer Angelina Hui Qing Zhang dressed up in a hanfu garment whose design was from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), before strolling along the alleys of the canal-side houses.

That's as Brazilian lawyer Renato de Almeida Freitas Junior filmed the canal boat models at the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum, remarking: "This engineering marvel deserves global recognition".

The exceptional photos of German photographer Gunther Riehle, one of the visitors, have been acquired by leading UK newspapers The Times and Daily Mail and published on their digital editions.

At Qiandao Lake, the giant net fishing spectacle stole the show. As 15 metric tons of silver carp erupted from the water, Gunther said: "This leap captures Hangzhou's vitality!" 

The high-speed train's 50-minute glide from urban towers to misty peaks left Francisca Molinero, principal of a Spanish international school, in awe as she marveled at the ecological harmony.

Invaluable dialogues about civilizations take place during the event between famous archaeologist Xu Tianjin, chief curator of the Liangzhu Museum (Liangzhu Research Institute), and Remonda Fayez Michel, a curator of the Grand Egyptian Museum.

It has been said that the charm of civilizations lies in dialogues instead of monologues. During the event, 10 representatives of experts from different fields, as well as the seekers, jointly initiated a dialogue on civilizations that connected East and West.

The seekers gather for a group photo with their families at the Hangzhouxi Railway Station.

The last day saw the seekers pair up with five Hangzhou families, initiating a down-to-earth journey of exploring the city. The farewell banquet unfolded at a lakeside "Moveable Feast", where they cooked their hometown dishes alongside Hangzhou chefs. 

A poster promotes the event in Hangzhou.

Like the Grand Canal's ceaseless flow beneath ancient bridges, the dialogues rippled outwards. It is highly likely that you will hear a symphony echoed from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, or on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.