Dressed in traditional Chinese attire, greeting each other as people did in ancient times, and slurping up local noodle dishes, three international students studying in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, embarked on a train trip to Qishan County, the legendary setting of the Chinese fantasy epic film "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force", to explore its real-life inspirations and experience traditional Chinese culture.

"Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force," is the second installment of China's blockbuster mythological trilogy, which is based on the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel "Fengshen Yanyi (The Investiture of the Gods)". The trilogy depicts the fall of the Shang Dynasty and the rise of the Zhou Dynasty in the 11th century B.C., weaving together battles between mortals, deities, and demons.
The students shared their excitement about the trip, highlighting the opportunities the movie provided to deepen their understanding of Chinese culture.
"I'm so excited because it's my first trip on a high-speed train in China. I can't believe the city from this movie - Xiqi City - exists in real life, and we can see it in reality," said Dilnaz Kadyrma, an international student from Kazakhstan studying at Northwestern Polytechnical University.
"The movie's really important when you really want to understand certain things about Chinese culture," said Johnpaul Ogochukwu Igbonaju, an international student from Nigeria studying at Northwestern Polytechnical University.
The train they take running between Xi'an to Qishan has transformed one of its carriages into a "Creation of the Gods II" themed experience, giving passengers a taste of the history and culture that make Qishan so captivating.
"It's pretty exciting to see all these decorations. It kind of puts you in the genuine vibe," said Erik Grigoryan, an international student from Armenia studying at Northwestern Polytechnical University.
After arriving in Qishan, the students were welcomed with a ceremony performed by actors dressed just like in the movie. They explored a history dating back over 2,000 years, including the first recorded appearance of the word "China" on bronze artifacts.
"It shows very unique traditional Chinese culture. I highly recommend all tourists, also for foreigners to visit here," said Dilnaz.