Students pose with handmade Chinese knots in Nantong while on a trip to discover more about their Chinese roots in Nantong, Jiangsu, Aug 6. [Photo by Xu Congjun/VCG]

Sixty students from the United States, Spain, Japan and Myanmar left on a journey to Nantong, a coastal city in Jiangsu province, Aug 6, to seek out their Chinese origins.

One of the first 14 seaside cities in China to have embraced the national opening-up policy of the 1980s, Nantong's proximity to Shanghai and easy transportation via water has helped the city to flourish with both economic prosperity and cultural activity.

The 10-day journey will introduce the students to diverse aspects of Nantong, from its endless striving for economic modernization to its rich cultural legacy.

Banyao (板鹞), a kind of kite with unique local origins, caught the students' attention with its large, flat design and whistling sound. Recognized as representative of southern kites that produce different sounds for melodic interplay among the clouds, the colorfully decorated hexagonal frames seem to remind people of the story behind its name; the words ban and yao mean "board" and "snipe" in Chinese.

Organized by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council since 1999, the root-tracing journeys have guided numerous youngsters toward a fuller understanding of their Chinese origins while enhancing their sense of national identity.