Athletes participating at the 31st FISU World University Games have taken time out from their respective competitions to delve into the host city Chengdu, which is rated one of the most livable cities in China.

For instance, newly renovated Wangjianglou Park in the city has welcomed delegations from Slovenia and other countries.
The park is famous for its historical buildings like Wangjiang Tower and various rare varieties of bamboo. Athletes and staff from overseas delegations strolled around and learned about the history of famous figures in Sichuan and experienced the relaxing leisure life in southwest China city.
"Very interesting. We had a great guide explained us a lot of things about the Chinese traditional culture and about the bamboo park and I hope that I will learn a lot about your city," said Zvjezdana, deputy head of Slovenian delegation.
A series of historical exhibits from Sanxingdui and Jinsha ruins that are showcased in Chengdu Museum also attracted athletes from Australia and other countries. Nearly 300,000 collections including paintings and calligraphy have delivered the charm of traditional Chinese culture to friends from afar.
"I liked the most on when they were talking about their silk making and their calligraphy, and the different alphabet to me is just something that really interests me because we just use our ABCs, and the use of other symbols and what they represent is something I've always been interested in. So, I love to learn a little bit more about it," said Megan, an athlete from Australia.
At the same time, members from overseas delegations visited the Kuanzhai Alley, a famous historical and cultural street in Chengdu, sampling tasty foods and immersing themselves in the local culture.
"A very warm city, very interesting, very historical. And so waiting for the competitions, we are enjoying all the things that we can see here. In our sport, the most funny and important things is to share experiences and cultures with people from all the other countries," said Niccolo, a media staff member with the Italian delegation.
The 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games opened in Chengdu last Friday and will go on until Aug 8.