Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump visited the Temple of Heaven in Beijing on Thursday.
Xi greeted Trump outside the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, where the two leaders had a photo taken and later took a tour of the more than 600-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Recalling their 2017 visit of Beijing's Forbidden City, another historical landmark in the city, Xi gave Trump an introduction of the Temple of Heaven. He said the ancient Chinese rulers held grand ceremonies here to pray for peace and prosperity for the realm and the people, and favorable weather to be blessed upon the land, which reflects the traditional Chinese belief that the people are the foundation of the state and the state is at peace when its foundation is consolidated.
Xi said the Communist Party of China inherited and carried forward the people-centered philosophy of Chinese civilization, consistently adhering to its fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, which has won the firm support of the people.
Trump spoke highly of China's classical architectural artistry and profound traditional culture during the visit. Calling the United States and China two great countries and hailing the wisdom of two great peoples, he called for deepening mutual understanding between the two countries and enhancing the friendship between the two peoples.
Xi, Trump visit Temple of Heaven
Xi, Trump visit Temple of Heaven
Xi, Trump visit Temple of Heaven
With the upgrading of tourism products and services, an increasing number of international visitors are opting for in-depth tours in smaller cities to explore and immerse themselves in Chinese culture.
The trend was vividly demonstrated by data from online travel platforms during the 2026 May Day holiday, which ran from May 1 to 5. As of Monday, the number of passengers entering and exiting Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, through Xi'an Port exceeded 700,000 this year, and the number of foreign passengers exceeded 100,000, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.9 percent. The proportion of passengers entering China under unilateral or mutual visa-free policies has increased to 78.9 percent.
At Tangyue Gong, a restaurant and theater featuring elements of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), an immersive Tang-style music and dance performance "Empress of Tang Dynasty" is being staged. The blending of classical music and dance, traditional instruments and court banquets create a panoramic experience for foreign tourists featuring culture of the Tang Dynasty.
"I enjoy the history of China. I am very interested in the country to learn more about your beautiful land, actually, and your history," said a tourist from Australia.
"I've never personally been to China before, never been to Asia, and I was just really excited to try something different, to experience a different culture. [It is] Absolutely fabulous. As soon as I walked in, it was just incredible. I gasped. I was videoing and recording everything. The dresses, the outfits were so beautiful. The food, there were so many different dishes that I've never tried before," said another tourist from the UK.
Zhouzhuang Water Town of east China's Jiangsu Province recently welcomed a large inbound tour group of over 1,800 people from Russia, Türkiye and several Central Asian countries. Tourists strolled through classic spots, appreciating the charm and cultural heritage of this ancient town amidst its bridges and flowing water.
Leveraging overseas cooperation channels, Zhouzhuang has launched exclusive tourism products for international tourists and improved services such as bilingual tours, foreign card payments and tax refunds, thereby promoting steady growth in the number of inbound tourists.
"We provide inbound tourists with a full-scene experience combining ancient architecture, intangible cultural heritage, folk customs and culture, and build a thoughtful full-chain service ranging from overseas market promotion to the visit and immersive experience in Zhouzhuang," said Lu Guilin, head of the marketing department of Zhouzhuang Cultural Tourism Development Group.
Growing number of int'l tourists seek cultural immersion in smaller Chinese cities
