A group of college students from Taiwan and Fujian province takes part in an immersive theatrical experience in Minning town, Ningxia Hui autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Minning town in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region recently welcomed a group of college students from Taiwan and Fujian province for a firsthand look at its remarkable transformation through visits and immersive cultural experiences highlighting three decades of Fujian-Ningxia cooperation.

The students participated in a six-day exchange program that began on July 21 in Yinchuan, the regional capital. The visit aimed to deepen cross-Strait exchanges by giving participants a closer look at the achievements of the long-running Fujian-Ningxia partnership.

One highlight of the visit was a 4.9-hectare theater complex in the center of Minning. The venue features 16 performance spaces and more than 20 interactive character performances.

Based on three decades of Fujian-Ningxia partnership, the production takes audiences through different stages of the town's transformation from a barren Gobi settlement into a thriving community through a 600-minute immersive theatrical experience.

"I'd never experienced this kind of immersive performance before," said Liu Yutong, a sophomore at Fujian Normal University. "Once I stepped into the theater, I felt completely immersed in the story. I'd heard about Fujian's paired assistance to Ningxia before, but seeing it brought to life this way made it much more moving."

A group of college students from Taiwan and Fujian province takes part in an immersive theatrical experience in Minning town, Ningxia Hui autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]