"Bringing the traditional silk costumes of Suzhou here is a cultural idea," says Laura Fincato, an honorary citizen of Suzhou.

In addition to the clothing, visitors also enjoyed a series of Chinese cultural activities, including a performance of guzheng, a traditional Chinese musical instrument, the opportunity to try on hanfu and calligraphy demonstrations at the Palazzo Santa Sofia.

Suzhou, dubbed by the Italian explorer Marco Polo in the 13th century as "the Venice of the East", became a sister city to Venice in 1980. Since then, multiple activities of mutual historical and cultural exchange have been held.

The Venice Carnival 2023, themed "Take Your Time for the Original Signs", kicked off in the Italian city on Feb 4 and concluded on Tuesday.

Xinhua