Thirteen diplomats from nine countries and institutions are visiting east China's Shandong Province, birthplace of Confucius, to better experience the richness of Chinese culture.

With envoys from countries including Turkmenistan, Costa Rica and Nepal, the trip to Shandong marks the first stop of the 2024 "Discover China Cultural Tour" for diplomats in China.
At the Taishan Mountain scenic area in Tai'an City, the diplomats ascended to the summit of the mountain and visited landmarks such as the Nantian Gate, Tianjie Street and Yuhuang Peak, while learning about the deep-rooted cultural history surrounding the mountain.
The Taishan Mountain was listed as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the first ever in China, due to the interconnection between its natural and cultural values.
In Qufu City, the birthplace of ancient Chinese sage Confucius, the envoys visited the Confucius Temple and the Kong family mansion to experience the charm of Confucian culture.
Confucius (551 BC-479 BC), or Kong Zi, an educator and thinker of ancient China, has influenced countless generations of Chinese society.
"I feel amazing. Confucius is a great teacher, and we respect this civilization [so] much. We love the country. I love the people. Everything is beautiful," said Naeli Mohamed Abdul Latif, Director Assistant of the Representative Office in China under the League of Arab States.
The delegates also enjoyed blossoming peony flowers, experienced aspects of the country's intangible cultural heritage and tried on traditional Chinese costumes.
"This is going to be a very good place for us to come again and see and we can tell our friends to visit and see and enjoy the hospitality of the Shandong people. And of course, tourism is a very good opportunity to enlarge the cooperation, especially in the humanitarian area and especially in the human-to-human contact. And as we are looking to the future it means that we are looking for our youth. We would like our youth to get more connected and learn more from each other," said Parahat Durdyev, Turkmenistan's Ambassador to China.
The tour coincided with an array of events promoting tourism and culture in the province, including themed photo exhibitions and cultural and tourism product exhibitions.
Next, the diplomats will continue their visit to other cities in Shandong to immerse themselves in the local culture.