A student tries making glutinous rice cakes. [Photo/WeChat account: zust-hies]

Hangzhou's neighborhood-based civic centers are welcoming a growing number of international students this summer, turning grassroots community programs into platforms for cultural exchange and storytelling.

At a civic practice station in Xishan village, Xiaoshan district, 18 students from Zhejiang University of Science and Technology — including four international students from Morocco, Yemen, France and Cote d'Ivoire — spent nine days living with local residents.

They explored rural vitalization projects, learned traditional incense-making and tea-processing techniques, interviewed villagers and veterans, and produced research on the village's history and tourism potential.

Elsewhere, in Xihu district, around 70 students from universities and schools in China and the United States visited community practice centers, toured historic neighborhoods and tea hillsides, and learned to make traditional zongzi together. In another community, international student volunteers led hands-on workshops for local children.

The programs are part of Hangzhou's summer civic engagement initiative, which aims to connect young people with local communities. By bringing together Chinese and international participants, the city's community practice centers are becoming vibrant spaces for sharing Chinese culture and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.

Chinese and international students learn about the village's water preservation efforts. [Photo/WeChat account: zust-hies]