Members of the delegation received martial arts training from monks on June 26. (WILLIAM XU / CHINA DAILY)

Hong Kong-based foreign diplomats and business leaders who are on the third day of a visit to Chinese interior mainland cities were treated to a rich immersion in Chinese culture on Monday.

Members of the delegation watched a martial arts performance on June 26. (WILLIAM XU / CHINA DAILY)

They enjoyed amazing cudgel fighting and animal-style fist performances by monks from the Shaolin Temple, and learned some martial arts movements from these Chinese kung fu masters. They also appreciated the breathtaking view of the 17-meter-height stone statue of the Losana Buddha at the Longmen Grottoes.

During the performance, three members of the delegation also volunteered to receive training from the monks on three types of animal-style fists. They studied very hard and won warm applause from the audience

The delegation — led by Liu Guangyuan, head of the Commissioner’s Office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong SAR — is on a weeklong tour of Henan and Shaanxi provinces to tap the business opportunities under the Belt and Road Initiative. The tour will end on Friday.

READ MORE: Xi: Build modern Chinese civilization

In the Shaolin Temple, a monk monastery with a history of over 1,500 years that is renowned for its martial arts training, the delegation toured the venue and enjoyed brilliant martial arts performances.

Young monks demonstrated fights with cudgels and swords, as well as animal-style fists, a martial arts movement that imitates the actions of animals such as tigers, snakes, frogs and cranes.

During the performance, three members of the delegation also volunteered to receive training from the monks on three types of animal-style fists. They studied very hard and won warm applause from the audience.

In the afternoon, the delegation drove to Luoyang, another city in Henan, to see the Longmen Grottoes — home to over 100,000 Buddha statues carved in artificial caves excavated from the limestone cliffs of two mountains.

Members of the delegation toured the grottoes and appreciated the Buddhist art that dates back to the fifth century.

David Whitwam, chairman of the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, told reporters that he used to think that Chinese kung fu represents “absolute strength”. During the visit, he said, he realized that the real strength is to communicate with people by virtue, not violence.

Living in Hong Kong, Whitwam said he can also feel the spirit of “harmony is priceless” advocated by Chinese culture. He added that he hopes that more and more New Zealand people can understand China’s cultural characteristics, so as to have more room for cooperation in economic and trade exchanges.

Two delegation members talked at the Longmen Garrotes in Luoyang, Henan province on June 26. (WILLIAM XU / CHINA DAILY)

Johannes Hack, president of the German Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, who received the martial arts training in the Shaolin Temple, said he was “thrilled and excited” at that time as he had not received any martial arts training before.

READ MORE: Belt and Road helps cultural exchanges

Hack said the trip is beneficial for people to do business in China. “You always do business with people, and you need to understand where people come from, what their history is, and what their feelings are,” he added.

Members of the delegation toured the Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou, Henan province on June 26. (WILLIAM XU / CHINA DAILY)

Almas Seitakynov, consul-general of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Hong Kong and Macao, said after visiting the stone statue of Losana Buddha, that many Kazakhstan people work and study in Henan, and he thinks the study of Chinese culture will help them find more opportunities in China and promote more cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in agriculture, education and infrastructure.

The delegation will continue its visit in Luoyang on Tuesday morning and travel to Shaanxi in the afternoon.