China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism officially launched the 2025 "Discover China Cultural Tour" in Beijing on Thursday, drawing diplomats from around the world to experience the nation's vibrant heritage.
Over 50 diplomats, including ambassadors from nine nations, attended the launch ceremony to explore the details of this year's cultural tour.
The tour will span six provinces and regions, taking diplomats to Yunnan, Jiangxi, Liaoning, and Jilin provinces, Inner Mongolia and Ningxia Hui autonomous regions.
For longtime participants, the upcoming journey presents an exciting opportunity to further explore China's vibrant traditions and stunning landscapes.
"I have been on the tour [a] few times, and it has always been great. I've been around, I remember at the very beginning, my first tour was in Xinjiang. It was one of the best trips I've ever had in China. It was so well organized and we visited so many things. We even rode camels, went in the desert. And for this coming tour, one province I'm really looking forward to go is Inner Mongolia. I've always heard so much about Inner Mongolia, about the culture, about the people, about the food, so I would like to ensure that I don't miss it, that I can experience that as well and add it to my souvenir of China," said Anne Lafortune, Ambassador of Seychelles to China.
Highlighting the tour's impact on cultural relations, the Ambassador of Argentina expressed his commitment to further enhancing tourism ties.
"From the Embassy of Argentina to China, we are permanently working (on) deepening our ties with China from a tourism perspective. So for us, tourism is a key area of cooperation, and we will not stop until we see a bigger flow of tourists between Argentina and China. I have to say that we are working on having flights that connect China and Argentina. It's technically impossible to get to Argentina with a nonstop flight because of the distance. But that is something that we are working very hard on," said Marcelo Gabriel Suarez Salvia, Argentine Ambassador to China.
Over 400 diplomats from 103 countries have explored China's rich cultural fabric through the "Discover China" program since it began in 2021.
2025 "Discover China Cultural Tour"to give diplomats an immersive journey across six regions
