A visitor views grain painting, an art form of intangible cultural heritage, at a tourism promotional event in San Francisco, California, the United States, on March 7, 2024. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua)

Shandong is committed to international exchanges, and strives to expand the scope of visa-upon-arrival and visa-free policies to boost inbound and outbound tourism.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- People in the U.S. city of San Francisco had a rare chance to view Chinese historical and natural treasures at a tourism promotional event on Thursday, in which Shandong Province in east China attracted Americans with breathtaking landscapes, cultural immersion experiences, and the promise of cementing future connections.

The event, themed "Welcome to Shandong, A Friendly and Culturally Inclusive Province," was co-organized by the province and the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco with the aim of boosting the province's tourism development.

Highlighting Shandong's intangible cultural heritage, the event attracted nearly 200 guests, including community members, local government officials and representatives from the cultural and tourism industry in California.

People try burr puzzles, an art form of intangible cultural heritage, at a tourism promotional event in San Francisco, California, the United States, on March 7, 2024. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua)

Seven art forms of intangible cultural heritage were displayed at the event, such as paper art, kites, woodblock prints, grain paintings, and burr puzzles.

"Shandong is blessed with rich cultural and tourism resources as it is an important birthplace of Chinese civilization and the origin of Confucian culture," said Shandong Province Vice Governor Deng Yunfeng at the event.

As a populous province, Shandong has a population of more than 100 million, ranking the second in China. As an economic powerhouse, Shandong generates the highest agricultural output in China, and ranks the second in industrial output in comparison with other provincial regions, according to Deng.

China's Shandong Province Vice Governor Deng Yunfeng speaks at a tourism promotional event in San Francisco, California, the United States, on March 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Shandong is committed to international exchanges, and strives to expand the scope of visa-upon-arrival and visa-free policies to boost inbound and outbound tourism, he said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Shandong received more than 5 million inbound tourists a year. "Going forward, Shandong will introduce a number of measures to accelerate the development of inbound tourism, offer incentives for inbound tourism, and welcome friends at home and abroad with open arms," said the vice governor.

Deputy Chinese Consul-General in San Francisco Song Guoxuan said, "Shandong is blessed with lofty mountains, vast seas and abundant resources, and all of them resound with the symphony of humanity living in harmony with nature."

"I'm confident that this event will help people gain a greater understanding of Shandong and further promote exchanges and cooperation between Shandong and California across a wide range of sectors," he told the audience at the event.

People talk at a stall displaying kites, an art form of intangible cultural heritage, at a tourism promotional event in San Francisco, California, the United States, on March 7, 2024. (Photo by Li Jianguo/Xinhua)

Wang Lei, head of the province's Department of Culture and Tourism, gave a passionate presentation on Shandong's cultural and tourism resources. He told the audience that Shandong not only inherits the root and soul of China's 5,000 years of civilization but also exudes a modern atmosphere of fashion, openness, and diversity.

During the event, the Shandong Provincial Library and San Francisco Public Library signed an agreement to promote cultural exchanges between the two sides, while the Shandong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S.-China Youth and Student Exchange Association to enhance exchanges.