A group of students from different countries who joined a cycling course ride bikes along the central axis of Beijing, capital of China, July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Wei Mengjia)

Despite their exhaustion, the sweltering summer heat and sweat-drenched bodies, more than a dozen international students could not conceal their excitement after completing a three-hour bike ride along the central axis of Beijing, each rushing to high-five their team leader.

At a session in India in late July, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed the 700-year-old Beijing Central Axis, dubbed the "spine of the city's culture," on the World Heritage List.

"This journey has been very good and it's very great to experience everything," said Callum Deighton, a student from the University of York, Britain, adding that he was amazed by the historic architecture along the central axis.

Deighton was among a group of students from different countries who joined a cycling course offered by the Peking University Summer School International 2024. During the one-month course in July, students had the opportunity to gain cycling knowledge and skills, while joining cycle tours to explore the ancient charm of Beijing.

Lu Fuquan, their team leader and instructor from Peking University, is an avid cycling enthusiast who is also fond of Beijing's historical and cultural heritage. He has planned six cycling routes for the course, leading students on a two-wheeled exploration of the ancient capital.

"To truly explore a city, one cannot be confined to the classroom," said Lu. "I hope to enable young people from various countries to traverse the Beijing Central Axis by bike and experience the charm of the ancient capital's historical and cultural heritage."

Since last year, the course has attracted 130 international students, including those from Britain, France, Canada, Australia, Japan and Singapore.

Beijing, with a history of over 3,000 years, has served as the Chinese capital for 870 years, making it a treasure trove of cultural heritage.

The Beijing Central Axis, the best-preserved example of traditional central axis architecture in China, extends 7.8 km from Yongding Gate in the south to the Bell and Drum Towers in the north.

Fifteen heritage components, including the Bell and Drum Towers, Wanning Bridge, Jingshan Hill, the Tian'anmen Square Complex, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, are located on or alongside the axis.

Maria Lamb, also from the University of York, has clocked up visits to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City during her previous travels in Beijing, but she realized that she had barely scratched the surface of what the city has to offer.

"The Beijing Central Axis definitely does show the culture. If you read between the lines of the buildings, you recognize the history," she said.

During the course, the students cycled through more than 10 major sites along the axis, including Tian'anmen Square, the Temple of Heaven and Jingshan Hill, stopping to explore many of them.

"Beijing is really vibrant," Gabriela Coka, from Spain, said after the Beijing Central Axis bike ride.

"There are a lot of things I haven't been able to get to know. As soon as I learn, I'm sure I'm gonna see more layers of Beijing and China," she said.