Students from the Massachusetts Institution of Technology, a leading American university, enjoy Chinese woodblock art in Yangliuqing, west of Tianjin municipality, Jan 14, 2016. [Photo by You Sihang /Asianewsphoto]

The town district of Yangliuqing is one of the largest towns in Tianjin and is famous for its Chinese New Year woodblock paintings. With a history of more than 400 years, woodblock prints in Yangliuqing date to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and have developed into a representative folk art genre in the city.

Students from the Massachusetts Institution of Technology recently learned about the ancient Chinese art during an activity in Yangliuqing, west of Tianjin municipality. The activity was part of the cultural experience courses of an exchange program between MIT and Tianjin University of Finance and Economics. The two universities launched the exchange program in 2013, and now 27 foreign students from MIT have been to China for four weeks of Chinese language study, as well as cultural experience courses.