A group of foreign diplomats and international organization representatives visited North China's Hebei province from Tuesday to Thursday, where they studied the province's pharmaceutical manufacturing, new energy, rural revitalization and smart city development.

The delegation, including ambassadors from Argentina, Jordan, Mauritania and Slovakia, toured the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, neighboring Baoding and the Xiong'an New Area near Beijing.

In Shijiazhuang, they walked through the ancient South Gate in Zhengding county and watched traditional performances.

They also visited the county's Tayuanzhuang village, where they learned about efforts to transform an underdeveloped village into a national model of rural development. At local companies, they observed the core competitiveness of Shijiazhuang's biopharmaceutical industry and green energy technologies.

In Baoding's Gaoyang county — known as China's "hometown of textiles" — the visitors witnessed intangible cultural heritage on display, including porcelain carving and plant dyeing. Some tried their hand at traditional weaving and tie-dye, drawing laughter and applause.

In Xiong'an, the delegation inspected the urban computing center and Baiyangdian Lake. They showed a strong interest in Xiong'an's pioneering efforts in smart city development, green buildings and digital twin technology - a virtual replica of physical infrastructure.

Several envoys said they looked forward to practical cooperation with Xiong'an to drive high-quality urban development.