Foreign guests explore heartland of China

When Aidana Mukhametgaliyeva saw a notice in China Daily offering writers and photographers the chance to visit Shanxi province, she had no hesitation in applying to go.

Mukhametgaliyeva, 21, from Kazakhstan, who is studying at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing, had never been to Shanxi. The capital, Taiyuan, is little more than three hours by high-speed train from Beijing.

"Shanxi is a good place to visit, especially if you live in a big city such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou," she said as she returned from the trip, which ran from June 15 to 19.