Orchid Awards guests explore China's past and present in Shaanxi

International judges and nominees of the Third Orchid Awards, along with nominees from previous editions, visited Xi'an and Hanzhong in northwest China's Shaanxi province from Sept. 7 to 12, gaining firsthand insights into the province's history, cultural heritage, technological innovation and biodiversity conservation.

Foreign judges and nominees listen to an introduction about Jianfu Temple, an imperial Buddhist temple, at the Xi'an Museum in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Sept. 7, 2026. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

For Iain Inglis, a British host with Hainan TV, the visit to Xi'an offered a chance to revisit a city he first saw more than two decades ago.

"I've been to Xi'an four or maybe five times. I first came to Xi'an in August 2003. And at that time, I thought the city was very pretty. The culture was quite apparent," Inglis said, referring to visits to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Xi'an City Wall and the Terracotta Warriors.

Returning 23 years later, he was struck by the city's transformation.

"I can see the developments, the modernity of the city. The transportation, the travel, things like these are all much improved on the Xi'an of 23 years ago," he said.

Inglis first came to China as a tourist in 2003, visiting cities including Shanghai, Xi'an and Wuhan. He returned the following year and has lived and worked in China for 22 years since.

For him, the Orchid Awards represents more than a prize. He sees the program as a platform that brings together people from China and abroad, from different countries, professional backgrounds and areas of expertise.

"I think this kind of international exchange event helps to build bridges, helps to bring people closer together, helps to iron out any misunderstandings," he said."I hope that it will continue to develop."

Adham Sayed, a Lebanese researcher at Zhejiang Gongshang University who completed his master's and doctoral studies at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, pointed to the city's harmonious mix of civilizations and cultures.

"Xi'an is a city where you can find history everywhere in every street," he said.

Foreign judges and nominees visit BYD's R&D center in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Sept. 8, 2026. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

He also noted the group's visits to BYD's R&D center and LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd., where the guests learned about the latest technologies.

"It's very important to read about modernization in China, but most important is to see this with your own eyes," Sayed said."Not only read from the book or from the papers."

The journey extended beyond history and technology to biodiversity conservation.

Foreign judges and nominees appreciate a crested ibis sculpture at the Crested Ibis Ecological Park in Hanzhong, northwest China's Shaanxi province, Sept. 11, 2026. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

Peter Brian Ditmanson, a history professor at Hunan University's Yuelu Academy, called the trip an amazing and diverse experience that showed him China's historical heritage, its green energy technologies and efforts to protect crested ibises in Hanzhong.

"What I think is truly amazing is that the central government and local government can all be focused on doing many different things at the same time— preserving history and culture, thinking about the future, thinking about the environment and energy," Ditmanson said.

For Claus Trojahn, a German writer and photographer, the journey was a chance to meet people from different fields and hear their personal experiences and stories. He plans to record the trip in his writing and share those stories after returning to Germany.

Siemens sent Trojahn to Nanjing from its German headquarters in 2021. After five years working and living in China with his family, he returned to Germany and left the company to focus on introducing China through writing and photography.

The trip also gave Yoro Diallo, director of the African Museum at Zhejiang Normal University and executive director of the Center for Francophone African Country Studies, a broader perspective on China's development, from its ancient heritage to its modern transformation.

"I really feel happy, and I think that I learned a lot about China's history, about China's culture, about China's traditional way of life," Diallo said.

Describing the trip as a journey through Chinese history from ancient times to today, he said he had also gained a better understanding of how Chinese modernization takes different dimensions into account.

The international guests also saw the Orchid Awards as a platform for dialogue and mutual understanding.

Ditmanson said the program recognized the importance of international exchange and reflected the value of interaction between China and the rest of the world.

"It's not only important to develop China, but also to interact with the rest of the world and to bring in experience from outside of China, but also some Chinese experience out to the rest of the world," he said.

Diallo said the Orchid Awards could help convey the spirit of the Global Civilization Initiative and contribute to building a community with a shared future for humanity.