As my second weekend in China approached, I began joining activities organised by the China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC).

My first Chinese language class taught me simple conversational skills – introducing myself, stating my country of origin, and basic counting. I also watched Dead to Rights, a historical film on the Nanjing Massacre, and visited a museum showcasing China’s experiences during the Second World War.

On Saturday, we travelled by bus to Tianjin, a coastal city about 120 km northeast of Beijing. Unlike the capital’s bustle of traffic and motorcycles, Tianjin exuded a calm, pleasant atmosphere.

Our visit coincided with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, held at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Centre on 31 August and 1 September. The SCO, the world’s largest regional organisation by geography and population, brought together more than 20 world leaders, including Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Our first stop was Tianjin Port, one of China’s largest and among the world’s highest-grade artificial deep-water ports. Located at the western tip of Bohai Bay, it connects to some 500 ports worldwide and is celebrated as a smart, green, zero-carbon facility.

The Chinese Class

After a detailed briefing, I spoke with port officers and local Tianjin journalists, who told me that vessels regularly sail from Tianjin Port to Malaysia’s Port Klang before continuing to Africa.

They also revealed that a delegation from the port and local media will soon visit Malaysia, and that many of the potential visitors were especially eager to try Malaysian food.

At the port, I even met a Chinese national who had once lived in Johor Bahru for a year before returning home.

The highlight of my Tianjin visit was the SCO Media Centre, where tradition seamlessly blended with Artificial Intelligence (AI). At the information counter, a humanoid robot politely directed me to lunch, while at the digital lifestyle pavilion, another intelligent robot named Mr Doer served me strawberry ice cream.

Robot Mr Doer serves ice cream

I felt like a child again as I flew a virtual kite, before asking a robot calligrapher to create a banner inscribed with the phrase “boundless happiness” in Chinese – the perfect expression of my mood at that very moment.

At an AI photo booth, volunteers snapped my picture against a green screen, and I chose the Tianjin Eye Ferris Wheel as the backdrop. Moments later, the image was transformed into a fridge magnet – a delightful keepsake.

I also tried my hand at calligraphy, carefully tracing the Chinese character for ‘luck’ with the patient guidance of volunteers, and proudly took home my little masterpiece.

The cultural booths were equally engaging. At the China Post counter, I experimented with traditional stamp printing featuring Tianjin’s architecture and cuisine. I learned about the city’s textile and handicraft heritage, fashioned a delicate dragonfly brooch, and crafted two lacquer fans – items I had never encountered before this trip. I even pieced together a traditional wooden Rubik’s cube and coloured an artwork of Tianjin’s landmarks. The best part? Each creation became a treasured souvenir.

Lacquer fan making

At the traditional Chinese medicine therapy booth, practitioners checked my pulse and offered advice on boosting immunity, along with a fragrant aromatherapy sachet as a gift. Later, at the Luban Workshop – a flagship technical training centre under the Belt and Road Initiative – I met an AI dog and had my health assessed by an AI-driven traditional Chinese medicine “doctor”.

What struck me most was how seamlessly Tianjin blends cultural heritage with cutting-edge innovation. Tradition and technology seemed to converse with each other at every corner of the SCO Media Centre and across the city itself.

A snapshot of Tianjin taken from a bus

Beyond the summit, I found myself captivated by Tianjin’s cityscape: the river winding gracefully through its banks, lined with a striking mix of European-style heritage buildings and sleek modern towers – a fusion that embodies the city unique charm. My curiosity led me to read more about Tianjin, and I discovered that it is China’s third-largest urban area after Beijing and Shanghai, a key hub of the Belt and Road Initiative, and a thriving modern metropolis.

The Haihe River, often called Tianjin’s ‘Mother River’, flows through the city like a lifeline, shaping its trade, culture and identity. Formed by the confluence of five rivers, it connects Tianjin to the Bohai Sea and has nurtured the city for centuries.

It is little wonder, then, that Tianjin was chosen to host this year’s SCO Summit.

I feel truly fortunate to have spent a weekend here, immersed in a place where history and innovation co-exist so naturally.

Thank you, beautiful Tianjin, for the memories, the experiences, and the meaningful souvenirs.

-- BERNAMA

Rohani Mohd Ibrahim, a journalist with Bernama is currently in Beijing to attend the China International Press Communication Centre (CIPCC) programme from Aug 18 to Dec 15.

The initiative organised by the China Public Diplomacy Association (CPDA), serves as a platform for practical cooperation between Chinese media organisations and those from emerging markets and developing economies.

The programme also provides foreign journalists with the opportunity to gain a comprehensive and in-depth understanding on China’s society, development and international engagement.

This marks BERNAMA’s eighth participation in the CIPCC programme since 2018.