Foreign diplomats listen to a demonstration of Chinese paper-cutting art in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province on Aug 1. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

A group of diplomats from Senegal, Peru, Switzerland and Turkey took part in a two-day tour in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province on Aug 1-2 at the invitation of the foreign and overseas Chinese affairs office of the city.

During the event, they got a glimpse of Wenzhou's culture, urban planning and economic development by visiting its museums, exhibition halls and industrial clusters.

On the first day, diplomats from the four countries tried their hands at practicing traditional paper-cutting art at Wenzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, with the guidance of Zhang Lili, an associate professor from Wenzhou University. Some of them were baffled but nevertheless impressed by the intricate patterns.

"Chinese paper-cutting is a delicate art. If people learn the art from a very young age, they are able to develop good habits," said Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane Ndiaye, the first secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Senegal in China.

Zosimo Roberto Morillo Herrada, Peru's consul general in Shanghai, said it was his first visit to Wenzhou and he was deeply impressed by the city and people here. "Wenzhou should be proud of its profound culture," he said.

The tour for diplomats, an annual event in Wenzhou since 2013, has become an important link connecting the city and foreign embassies or consulates in China. It is regarded as a platform for exchanges and cooperation between the two sides and enjoys popularity among the foreign guests.

Over the past six years, 55 diplomats from 34 embassies and consulates have participated in the event, including six ambassadors to China and 10 consul generals in Shanghai.

A member of the diplomat group looks at a collection of Chinese brush pens in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province on Aug 1. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Diplomats visit the exhibition hall of Oujiangkou industrial cluster in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province on Aug 2. [Photo/66wz.com]