On the morning of September 26, Longwan Lake Art Town in Sishui County, Jining City welcomed its first visitors: more than 50 diplomatic envoys from 33 foreign embassies and consulates in China, who were brought together in Jining by "Diplomatic Envoys Experiencing China", to experience the charm of Qilu culture. Following the event, they will attend the Opening Ceremony of the Eighth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations and other activities.

Alva Ilares, Third Secretary of the Embassy of Peru in China and Antonio Gaspar, Educational Counselor of the Embassy of Mozambique in China, watched the assembly of Luban locks and had a try. Noureddine Kara Ali, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of Algeria, tried tie-dye. "The experience was very interesting and made us feel the splendor of Chinese culture and the wisdom of the Chinese people," they said.

The Confucius Museum, 100 Confucius Avenue, Qufu City was the second leg of the trip. Melissa Pryce, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of Jamaica in China, was overwhelmed with excitement. "Many ideas in The Analects are applicable to life now and they've helped me a lot," she said.

Carlson D. Apis, Minister Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Federated States of Micronesia in China, shared the same view. "Today's experience was colorful and I'm yearning for the rest of the trip," he said.

"The trip has deepened my understanding of Confucian thought, and I hope to acquire a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese culture through this year's Nishan Forum on World Civilizations," said Reynaldo Pulido, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of Venezuela in China, after viewing the collections of the Confucius Museum.