The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit brought more than 1,100 overseas journalists to Tianjin.

Yet beyond the media centre, many found their most lasting impressions came from the city itself – through its rhythm, its people, and the unexpected warmth of everyday encounters.

Manish Jha:

This is my fifth visit to China. Every time you learn lots of things related to China.

And the most important thing is, you know sometimes you feel that ok, what the western media is saying towards China – when you visit China, you find that things are completely different.

If I say that I am an Indian Journalist to any person, whether it is a taxi driver, or it is a person in the market – they are very much excited!

For many visiting journalists, Tianjin’s greatest impression was not just its cityscape or energy, but the genuine hospitality that turned strangers into friends.  

The SCO Summit brought together nations of widely different cultures – showing how dialogue, cooperation, and shared experiences can bridge differences on both personal and international levels.

Manish Jha:

The bonding between the people are very good, it shows that it can be possible that the world nations can work together and have a good mutual understanding.

From the summit’s convention halls to the streets of Tianjin, visiting journalists saw both the formal significance of the SCO, and the welcoming spirit of its host city.

The SCO has become a platform not only for dialogue among nations, but also for cultural exchange at a human level.