Participants pose at the event. [Photo provided to China Daily]

To mark the 40^th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, Tsinghua University has sent three groups comprising an equal number of domestic and overseas students to follow the path of the milestone event in May.

This time, the activity has not only shown students the development of high-tech and innovative industries in Shenzhen, one of the earliest special economic zones in China, but also got them closer to the poverty alleviation projects in Lankao county, Henan province.

"We were given a first-hand experience to see photos and hear stories of the actual reform period, where special economic zones were set up in order to filter out which strategies worked well and which ones did not. It was great to put more details to the stories I have heard or studied back at the Tsinghua Beijing campus," says Stacey-Ann Pearson, a Jamaican student from Schwarzman College of the university.

During the trip in Shenzhen, the team visited smartphone manufacturer Huawei, Internet giant Tencent, battery technology pioneer BYD and unmanned aerial vehicles producer DJI.

Caner Ipek, a German students from the department of industrial engineering at Tsinghua University says after the visits he began to understand why Shenzhen enjoys popularity among those enterprises.

"Even though I have lived in China for more than a year now, I have not managed to decrypt the society yet but I aim to solve this puzzle step by step." Caner says.

Duan Renzhi, 24, a postgraduate student from the department of electronic engineering says he had a good time with his French buddy during the whole trip.

"To mix Chinese and foreign students and split us into small groups made it easier for us to discuss about a wide range of topics, which more or less broadened my horizon," says Duan.

And he also managed to talk to the senior engineer in BYD during their visit to the company and was impressed by the business atmosphere in Shenzhen.

"The favorable policies and people's respect for entrepreneurs there really appeal to me, I would like to run a startup in the city after my graduation," says Duan.

To mark the 40 thanniversary of China's reform and opening-up, Tsinghua University has sent three groups comprising an equal number of domestic and overseas students to follow the path of the milestone event in May. [Photo provided to China Daily]