TEHRAN – On Friday, a Chinese delegation led by Beijing’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Li Qun embarked on a two-day journey to Iran’s southern Fars province, which is home to countless cultural heritage sites and monuments.

China’s Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Li Qun at the head of an 11-member delegation of cultural heritage officials and managers, arrived in Shiraz on Friday evening and visited the Eram Garden, the mausoleums of Hafez and Sa’di, Karim Khan citadel, and the holy shrine of Shah Cheragh, CHTN reported.

On Saturday, the Chinese delegation held meetings with several provincial officials before paying visits to UNESCO-designated Persepolis, the majestic necropolis of Nagh-e Rostam, and Tall-e Ajori in the Marvdasht Plain.

The Chinese delegation left Shiraz for Tehran on Saturday evening.

The ancient region of Fars, also spelled Pars, or Persis, was the heart of the Achaemenian Empire (550–330 BC), which was founded by Cyrus the Great and had its capital in Pasargadae. Darius I the Great moved the capital to nearby Persepolis in the late 6th or early 5th century BC.

Celebrated as the heartland of Persian culture for over 2000 years, the capital city of Shiraz has become synonymous with education, nightingales, poetry, and crafts skills passed down from generation to generation. It was one of the most important cities in the medieval Islamic world and was the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty from 1751 to 1794. Moreover, Shiraz is home to some of the country’s most magnificent buildings and sights. Increasingly, it draws more and more foreign and domestic sightseers flocking to this provincial capital.

Afif-Abad Garden, the Tomb of Hafez, the Tomb of Sa’di, Jameh Mosque of Atigh, and Persepolis are among the historical, cultural, and ancient sites of Shiraz that are of interest to domestic and foreign tourists. The ancient city is also home to some magnificent historical gardens, such as Bagh-e Narenjestan and Eram Garden, which are top tourist destinations both for domestic and international sightseers.

AFM