More than 3,000 journalists from around the world have gathered in Tianjin to cover the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, which is being held from Sunday to Monday.

"I think it's a modern, beautiful city," said Abdimanap Kenges, an editor from Kazakhstan, describing his first impression upon his arrival on Friday.

Ainur Imangali, a Silk Way TV journalist, described her first impression of the city this way: "Impressive. Beautiful architecture. Vibrant."

Saparbek, a reporter from Kazakhstan, said, "I feel really impressed because it's really big. … I've never seen that before. It's really amazing. I feel so tiny in this city. I like your infrastructure."

Rahul Sivasankar, a reporter from India, said, "It is marvelously laid out city. It is obviously a town that is coming up, full of bustling enterprise. And most importantly I think it is a city that, because of the SCO, is going to be in global focus."

Irfan Ashraf from Pakistan said, "This is the first time I have visited Tianjin, and it's a wonderful city, a vibrant city."

Anastasiya Bunehina of Belarus praised the city's "hospitality, beauty and open-mindedness".

Founded in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has seen its circle of friends expand and its value grow over the past 24 years. Today, it is the largest international organization in the world in terms of geographical coverage and population, said Wang Xu, executive vice-mayor of Tianjin.

The 2025 event is the fifth SCO Summit hosted by China. It is also the largest-scale summit since the organization was established. Leaders from more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations will attend the events.

From environmental upgrading and venue optimization to friendly atmosphere through volunteer services, Tianjin — a city with profound cultural heritage, openness and innovation — is welcoming the summit with a brand-new look.

Lu Ruotong, Chen Yijun, and Liu Tingyu in Tianjin contributed to this story.