The Tourism and Culture College of Yunnan University held an opening ceremony for a summer camp of overseas teenagers of Chinese descent on July 18.

Co-organizers of the event included the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and the local overseas affairs offices of Yunnan and Lijiang.

Forty students from many countries including France, Japan, Hungary and Canada and 15 children of members of the China Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs Association participated in the activity.

They will spend ten days in Lijiang to learn local customs and culture. The first day had them making clay sculptures, and enjoying music and dances featuring ethnic characteristics.

The activity was initiated by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council in 1992. It invites ethnic Chinese teenagers from overseas, and from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, to gather together in China to absorb the country's character and culture.

Participants can take part in the event in four seasons depending on when their vacations start. It has attracted 400,000 overseas youth attendees to date.

Edited by Peter Nordinger