Eight foreign guests from different countries were invited on a journey around Southwest China's Sichuan province to experience local culture.

They visited a cultural attraction on July 13 in Sichuan's Guangyuan city -- hometown of Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Tourists with their hosts pose for a group photo outside of the Zetian Hall, the main building within Huangze Temple in Guangyuan city, Sichuan province. [Photo provided by Guangyuan city]

The sightseers appreciate the Thousand Buddha Cliffside Statues in Guangyuan city, Sichuan province. [Photo provided by Guangyuan city]

The Huangze Temple, sitting on the banks of the Jialing River, tells stories of the only empress in Chinese history, while the Thousand Buddha Cliffside Statues catalogs a long history dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534).

Along the way, the foreign visitors marveled at the picturesque mountains and rivers, the fresh air and the rich history and culture.

The beautiful scenery of Yueba village, especially the alpine wetland, were a knock out with the guests, so much so that George Harry Lees from the UK couldn't help but burst into song, lamenting that it is "a paradise on earth".

Kirsty Louise Froggatt, also from the UK, indulged herself in the luxuriant green mountains, and the local cultural heritage which represents its graceful oriental beauty adding to her enjoyment immensely.

The group experience the time-honored tradition of dyeing silk fabrics in Guangyuan city, Sichuan province. [Photo provided by Guangyuan city]

The eight guests learn about stone carving at a cultural treasure inheritance center in Guangyuan city, Sichuan province. [Photo provided by Guangyuan city]

In addition, members of the group were also impressed by the changes that have occurred in the mountain areas thanks to cultural tourism and the poverty alleviation policy.

People in nearby mountain villages are skilled at making silk carpets and stone carvings. In recent years, they become increasingly successful by operating red kiwifruit gardens and mushroom industrial parks.

Micheale Yihdego Gebreyohanes from Ethiopia praised the countryside's services during a visit to a B&B in Sanhui village, Cangxi county.

The activity, approved by the Publicity Department of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, aims to make local area's beauty seen and its voice heard.