From 3 to 5 November 2026, the “Picturesque Zhejiang” (UK) cultural and tourism promotion series was held in London. Hosted by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, and drawing on the global platform of WTM London 2026, the programme showcased Zhejiang’s profound cultural heritage and rich tourism resources through dedicated presentations, exhibition displays, industry meetings and cultural experiences, strengthening cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation between Zhejiang and the UK and other key source markets for inbound tourism.
Across Mountains and Seas: A Rendezvous with Picturesque Zhejiang
On 4 November, the “Picturesque Zhejiang” (UK) Culture and Tourism Promotion and Exchange Event was held in London. Those present included Mr. Li Liyan, Minister Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom; Mr. Zhang Li, Director of the China National Tourist Office in London; Ms. Zhu Haimin, Level I Bureau Rank Official of the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism and Director of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Zhejiang Province; Baroness Uddin, Member of the House of Lords; Councillor Tim Mitchell of Westminster City Council, London; and Dr Frances Wood, a renowned British sinologist. Travel agencies, airline representatives and media guests from China and the UK gathered to discuss cooperation.
Mr. Li Liyan said that Zhejiang is endowed with the profound heritage of fine traditional Chinese culture and the distinctive charm of Jiangnan culture. The delegation’s visit to the UK for WTM London and its cultural and tourism promotion events, he said, offered both an effective way to raise the international profile of “Picturesque Zhejiang” and an important opportunity to strengthen China–UK cultural and people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding.
Mr. Zhang Li said that Zhejiang has long enjoyed the reputation of “Picturesque Zhejiang”, where visitors can savour the poetry of Jiangnan and experience the distinctive charm of a land where past and present meet, and mountains and sea coexist. The China National Tourist Office in London is ready to deepen cooperation with the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism by arranging in-depth inspection visits to Zhejiang for UK travel trade representatives and travel bloggers, sharing Zhejiang’s stories with the UK market, and encouraging more British visitors to explore Zhejiang and gain an authentic, comprehensive and multidimensional understanding of China.
Councillor Tim Mitchell said that China’s visa-free policy for British citizens makes it easier for British travellers to visit China and will further encourage people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. He highlighted the importance of closer cultural and tourism exchanges between London and Zhejiang and other parts of China, and expressed the hope that the event would mark an important step in cooperation between Westminster and Zhejiang.
In her remarks, Ms. Zhu Haimin said that Zhejiang carries a cultural heritage stretching back thousands of years while brimming with contemporary vitality. From the Qiantang River to the Thames, Zhejiang and the UK have always shared a pursuit of civilization and of all that is beautiful. She looked forward to, with culture and tourism as a bond, deepening cooperation in all fields and to contributing Zhejiang’s strength to the steady and sustained growth of China-UK relations.
The themed presentation, following the narrative thread of “Great Minds Think Alike”, used music and dance to bring to life Zhejiang’s journey from a “Poetic Realm” and “Elegant Charm” to “Riding the Tide”. Signature routes tailored for the UK market were introduced, alongside the provincial smart culture and tourism service platform “Zhejiang Travel”, showcasing Zhejiang’s digital tourism services for international visitors.
The event also presented “Envoy of Picturesque Zhejiang” certificates to William Adlington, the well-known British travel blogger known as “Grandpa Mooneye”, and Richard Horley, Vice President of Thames Holdings, in recognition of their role in promoting further cultural and tourism exchanges between Zhejiang and the UK.
In his written reflections on receiving the honour, Adlington recalled his visit to Hangzhou in May 2025, saying that West Lake’s beautiful scenery, the city’s modern conveniences and the way traditional culture and technological innovation thrive side by side had left a lasting impression on him. He said he was honoured to be recognised as an Envoy of Picturesque Zhejiang and looked forward to sharing Zhejiang’s stories, people and beauty with audiences in Britain through his Mooneye platform and face-to-face exchanges, helping to strengthen understanding and friendship between the two countries.
An immersive cultural experience area was set up outside the event room, where guests enjoyed tea art demonstrations, made lacquer-decorated fans and tried their hand at woodblock printing. Cutting-edge products demonstrating the integration of technology, culture and tourism were also on display. These included a TRANSN AI translator, Rokid AI glasses brought by the Wensan Digital Live Block, as well as exoskeleton devices provided by Transitx, attracting many guests keen to try them out.
Connecting the World: Sharing Opportunities in Culture and Tourism
On 3 November, WTM London 2026 officially opened, and the Zhejiang culture and tourism delegation attended the opening ceremony. During the exhibition, representatives of Zhejiang tourism businesses held in-depth discussions with the heads of several international tourism organisations, exploring opportunities and new directions for development in the global culture and tourism market.
To make the Zhejiang booth more interactive and engaging, tea art demonstrations and rubbing activities featuring the Liangzhu divine emblem were arranged alongside displays of cutting-edge technology products. This blend of tradition and modernity was warmly received by international buyers. During the exhibition, the Zhejiang booth distributed more than 3,000 promotional brochures on culture and tourism and attracted approximately 16,000 visits.
Targeted Promotion: Encouraging Two-Way Tourism Exchanges
To reach international visitors with precision, an industry promotion session for “Picturesque Zhejiang” was held on the afternoon of 3 November at the China Pavilion at WTM London.
The event opened with a captivating promotional video on Zhejiang’s culture and tourism. Representatives of Zhejiang travel agencies took the stage one after another to present Zhejiang routes designed for the international market: the “Jiangnan Study Tour”, combining West Lake, tea culture and celadon culture; the “Discover Zhejiang Tour”, spanning Song dynasty culture, fascinating intangible cultural heritage and AI technology experiences; and the “Poetic Road of Eastern Zhejiang Tour”, bringing together yellow rice wine heritage, the Zen spirit of Mount Putuo and ancient water towns.
The presentation of the “Zhejiang Travel” platform that followed brought the atmosphere to a climax, vividly illustrating the convenience and intelligence of “exploring Zhejiang with one mobile phone”. The compact and efficient session gave the visitors an immersive taste of Zhejiang’s natural beauty and technological sophistication in a short space of time. Several international buyers said they were impressed by Zhejiang’s rich cultural tourism resources and convenient smart services and looked forward to visiting in person as soon as possible. Zhejiang travel agency representatives also held face-to-face talks with travel agencies from various countries, reaching more than 30 cooperation projects on customized routes and mutual visitor exchanges, further broadening channels into Europe’s inbound tourism market.
Effective Outreach: Extending the Global Reach of Picturesque Zhejiang
The UK promotion series attracted wide attention from overseas media, with more than 10 mainstream overseas outlets having covered the events so far. In the future, Zhejiang will, with culture as a medium and tourism as a bridge, make the most of major international exhibitions such as WTM London, operate cultural tourism promotion centres efficiently in key inbound markets, step up invitations to travel agencies, media and travel bloggers, and continue to raise the international recognition and influence of “Picturesque Zhejiang”.
