Foreign visitors consult an exhibitor about the lacquer ware at the third Shanxi International Cultural Festival on Ancient Towns along the Belt and Road held in Taiyuan on Nov 19. [Photo/sxrb.com]

The third Shanxi International Cultural Festival on Ancient Towns along the Belt and Road was held in Taiyuan on Nov 19.

As Shanxi's move to develop tourism along the Belt and Road countries and regions under the framework of national Belt and Road Initiative, the festival aimed to promote Shanxi's reputation as an ideal tourism destination and develop tourism into a pillar industry for the province’s economic growth.

A business-matching event among Shanxi tourist attractions, travel agencies and travel agents from home and abroad was held during the festival. Tourist products and services themed upon the Yellow River, the Great Wall and Taihang Mountains in Shanxi were presented at a tourism promotion meeting during the cultural festival.

In addition, intangible cultural heritage shows, including wheaten food-making, paper cutting, and polished lacquer ware, were displayed.

More than 130 representatives of domestic travel agencies, ancient towns, tourist attractions and hotels as well as 82 travel agents from countries and regions such as Germany, India, and Thailand attended the event.

From Nov 19 to 22, Shanxi tourism development commission will organize attendees, especially overseas travel agents, and provide them with sightseeing tours to major tourist attractions in Shanxi.