Hutong adventures await

A student films a woodblock waterprint painting at the Rongbaozhai art gallery.

Xicheng District in downtown Beijing has rolled out the red carpet for newly arrived international students with a culture and tourism promotion campaign running from early September to November. It invites the students to explore Beijing's historic hutongs, the city's ancient alleyways, through curated CityWalk routes, interactive challenge missions and a range of low-barrier, high-reward "light consumption" experiences.

Xicheng is home to many renowned heritage sites, including Beihai Park, one of China's oldest and best-preserved ancient imperial gardens.