A total of 63 young Chinese reporters, known as the Little Panda Reporters, have wrapped up an overseas trip exploring the Belt and Road. The reporters, aged between 7 and 16, come from southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. They were divided into three groups and set out in mid-August to explore seven Asian and European countries.

Team Marco Polo visits France, Switzerland and Italy

A group of 22 little reporters stunned locals and tourists with a performance in downtown Milan, Italy. Their show featured classical elements and music from Sichuan, known as the hometown of pandas.

Shui Kezhen, one of the Little Panda Reporters, felt excited about their performance, saying it felt really good when they sang in mother tongue to the people of Italy and get applause from audiences.

The young reporters later visited city mayor Monica Giuliano and listened to him explaining a joint project, the new Vado Gateway terminal, between European and Chinese businesses.

COSCO Shipping Ports, under the world's largest integrated shipping enterprise China Ocean Shipping Corporation (COSCO), bought a 40-percent stake in the terminal, second to the Netherlands-based APM Terminals, part of the Danish conglomerate Maersk.

This partnership aims to shore up the handling capacity of Port Vado Ligure. After its launch in December, it will become one of the most capable shipping terminals in Europe.

"The Belt and Road Initiative has brought in diversified sources of investment to boost local growth. Before that, investment was limited, done only by Italian companies," Giuliano explained to the little reporters.

The team is named after Marco Polo, an Italian merchant, explorer, and writer who traveled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. It's the team's third stop in Europe after France and Switzerland.

Team Zhang Qian explores new connections in the UK, Ireland

Another group of 27 visited the town hall of Sheffield, located in South Yorkshire, England. Lord Mayor Tony Downing briefed them on the city's industrial and sporting legacy, and its connections with Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, which signed a sister city agreement with Sheffield in 2010.

The children later visited Oasis Academy Don Valley, a school located in the Attercliffe area of Sheffield. They interacted with local students on courses and extracurricular activities, presenting their counterparts gifts, including Chinese calligraphy, fans, as well as Sichuan Opera performance.

In Dublin, capital of Ireland, these little reporters paid a visit to the Chinese Embassy, where they talked with Chinese diplomats about bilateral ties between China and Ireland, and the latest outcomes of the Belt and Road Initiative in the country.

The team is named after Zhang Qian, a Chinese official and diplomat who served as an imperial envoy to the world outside China in the late 2nd century BC during the Han dynasty. His travels are associated with the major route of transcontinental trade, the Silk Road, and helped expose different products and kingdoms to each other through trade.

Team Zheng He concludes journey to Thailand and Maldives

The third group of 14 children visited Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, where they had a trip to a local elephant sanctuary to learn about wildlife protection.

During the days in Thailand, they interviewed the officials in the Chinese Consulate-General and Chamber of Commerce in Chiang Mai, talking about bilateral ties, especially the latest business cooperation brought by the Belt and Road Initiative.

After they finished their trip in the consulate, the group of reporters encountered street artists at the Tha Phae Gate, a preserved city gate dates back to ancient times, where they joined them singing a hometown song which is very popular in China, and resonated well with local culture.

"When we came to Thailand, we brought Chinese culture with us. I hope when I return home, I can share with my classmates what I learned about the local culture and customs here," said Wen Zhu, a team member of Little Panda Reporters.

The journey also brought them to Male, the capital of the Republic of Maldives, where they witnessed a concrete outcome of bilateral cooperation, the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.

The two-kms-long bridge, inaugurated on August 30, 2018, is an iconic project of the Maldives and China in co-building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The bridge makes it possible for locals and tourists to travel between the two islands within five minutes.

The team names after Zheng He, a Chinese mariner, explorer, and diplomat during China's early Ming dynasty. Zheng commanded expeditionary treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433.

The activity of Little Panda Reporters, which is founded in 2017, is annually held by China's National Radio and Television Administration and Chengdu TV Station. The trips are part of a national program for cultural exchange, allowing Chinese youth to learn more about the world.