Photographers from Asian media organizations cover a Miao ethnic toast ritual in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture in Guizhou province on Thursday. [Zhu Xingxin/China Daily]

Photographers and journalists from major Asian media organizations gathered in Guiyang for the kickoff event of an interview tour of Guizhou province on June 4.

With support from China Daily and the Guizhou provincial government's publicity department, the tour aims to spotlight the province's cultures, scenic environment and natural resources.

The six-day trip will cover some of the province's most popular tourism spots, like the Confucius School and the Miao Village, Guizhou Deputy Governor He Li said in a speech at the launching ceremony for the tour.

The West China province is home to 17 ethnic groups whose housing, clothing and religious practices have remained the same over the ages, He said.

The deputy governor added that the province has a large energy reserve, including coal, and a booming economy, which adds to its appeal to investors.

Fu Yingchun, head of the Guizhou Tourism Administration, also gave a speech at the ceremony, saying Guizhou is a wonderland for photographers as it has picturesque landscapes and a population that is "born to dance and sing".

Fu said Guizhou is known for its natural environment and various folk cultures and is recognized in the country as the "park province". Its 176,000 sq km are covered with scenic spots and heritage sites.

Huang Yingfeng, an expert on Guizhou's folk culture from Taiwan, spoke at the ceremony about his visits to the province.

Huang said he has visited the province more than 100 times and has acquired a large collection of artifacts, including more than 10,000 traditional Miao ethnicity costumes.

He said that the traditional diao jiao lou, or hanging house, of the Miao people has been an important inspiration for modern architecture.

China Daily Deputy Editor-in-Chief Kang Bing also helped kick off the tour with a speech.

The photographers on the interview tour will have an opportunity to experience Miao culture later in the trip.

After the ceremony, they visited the Confucius School, a wetland park and Qianling Mountain Park in Guiyang, which is famous for having wild monkeys that wander freely throughout the park.

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