The international visitors get together for a group photo in Anji county. [Photo/WeChat ID: anjifb]

In the run-up to the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting in Beijing, international guests from countries including France, Spain, Germany, Greece, and Cyprus visited Anji county — located in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province — on July 9.

The visitors gained a deep insight into Anji's beautiful rural landscapes and ecological advancements.

In Anji's Yucun village, they learned about Yucun's dramatic transformation that involved closing mines and cement factories to become an ecological tourism hub, providing new opportunities for local villagers.

Carole Bureau-Bonnard, former first vice-president of the French National Assembly, said that the villagers' shift — from mining to operating guesthouses and engaging in cultural and creative industries — highlighted the artistic and economic benefits of the area's ecological tourism.

Georgios Katrougkalos, former foreign minister of Greece, said, "It's impressive how you achieved harmony between nature and technology, tradition and modernity, and all of that in a very ecological way."

A fun bamboo toy charms one of the visitors. [Photo/WeChat ID: anjifb]

At the "Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic" Exhibition Center in Anji, the guests were captivated by bamboo products ranging from tableware to packaging.

Charalambos Christodoulou, vice-president of EDEK Socialist Party, praised Anji's innovation in replacing plastic with bamboo, emphasizing its importance in protecting natural environment.