Global Sinologists gathered in Shanghai on Monday as the second World Conference on China Studies kicked off with inspiring tours showcasing the city's technological advances, cultural inheritance and governance.

During the tours, scholars and experts from home and abroad with diverse backgrounds visited several iconic landmarks including the Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Museum East and an innovation center on humanoid robots.

Dario Famularo, an Italian scholar who has lived and researched in China for over 10 years, expressed excitement about the tour.

"China is a diverse country and a very exciting place to be because it's always changing year by year, and many new technologies become part of daily life. Compared to where I come from in Europe, modernization goes faster here," said Famularo.

With a focus on fields such as the history of Sinology and Sino-Italian cultural exchanges, Famularo believes that China's global relevance is growing, and people around the world should learn more about Chinese culture as an important part of humanity.

"We live in a world that is very globalized. I think that multicultural awareness is very required to build a more harmonious way of life and to build a peaceful world … Chinese traditional culture is alive and rich because it is a living culture that is always changing alongside Chinese modernization," he added.