Spanish tourists experience stone carving in Qingtian county, Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Eighteen Spanish tourists had arrived in Lishui's Qingtian county for a two-day immersive tour, marking Zhejiang province's first inbound travel group of 2026 after the launch of its new inbound tourism campaign.

At the Qingtian Stone Carving Museum, the visitors explored the thousand-year-old art of stone carving. They admired exquisite works demonstrating masterful craftsmanship and tried their hand at carving the Chinese character "fu" (fortune), experiencing the unique charm of Qingtian stone carving.

The group then visited Shimen Cave scenic area, where lush mountains and cascading waterfalls offered a refreshing contrast to Spain's landscapes

Tourist Manuel Portela said that Qingtian's scenery and architecture carry a profound sense of history, and that the close connection between people and nature in rural Qingtian was a unique experience not found at home.

The itinerary also included the Overseas Chinese Exhibition Hall, Qingtian Rice-Fish Culture System Museum, a night cruise on Taihe Lake, the Imported Goods City, local farm produce shopping, folk activities like fish-lantern dances, and local delicacies.

The successful tour was the result of careful planning. Following a Spanish cultural inspection trip last October, the county tourism bureau designed a route that links rural landscapes, overseas Chinese heritage, and intangible cultural elements.

Moving forward, Qingtian plans to improve multilingual signage, train foreign-language service teams, build stable overseas tourist channels, and upgrade tourism products to ensure sustainable, high-quality inbound travel.