CHONGQING, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Greeted with lively folk songs and homemade rice wine by enthusiastic locals in vibrant traditional attire, 19 Belgian professors and students were recently captivated by the unique ethnic culture of the Tujia people in southwest China's Chongqing.

"People and nature as well as the cultural environment here are fascinating," said Francois Serneels, an agronomist who led the tour group.

Serneels first visited China in 1999. About 15 years ago, he trekked to Hewan Village, which is located in the mountainous Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, and he has since returned about five times, as he recalls.

Having witnessed the incredible changes that have taken place in this Tujia village over the years, Serneels said that what truly inspires him is how both the government and locals are working to preserve their traditions. "That's why I bring students here."

During their visit, the students and professors hiked misty hills to appreciate the village's ecological beauty, and delved into local agrarian traditions by guiding oxen to plow fields, gaining hands-on farming experience while engaging in an in-depth cultural exchange.

Beyond the picturesque scenery, the unique architectural techniques used to build stilted Tujia buildings particularly impressed the foreign visitors. The village has 245 stilted structures and is home to a museum dedicated to the architecture of the Tujia ethnic minority group.

Bai Kaigui, 76, is a master builder of this style of architecture. He demonstrated the traditional mortise-and-tenon building technique that utilizes interlocking wooden joints.

"This method minimizes ground contact, enhancing moisture resistance, preventing wood rot, and improving drainage and ventilation -- all of which are crucial to preserving wooden structures in damp conditions," Bai explained, noting that these features stem from the region's unique geography and climate.

"Seeing this way of nail-free joints to build houses is incredible," said student Constantin Goffard, who thinks that this tradition must be preserved for its unique architectural value and the ancient engineering wisdom behind it.

Maria Miltcheva, a professor at Belgium's Haute Ecole Provinciale de Hainaut-Condorcet who also visited Hewan Village in 2012, remembers that during her first trip to the village, many houses were old or abandoned, and the locals had just begun restoration work thanks to government subsidies.

"I was really surprised that in 13 years, such great progress has been made and people now live better," she said.

Serneels also highlighted the increasing agricultural cooperation between China and Belgium, particularly in the areas of potato disease prevention and sustainable yield improvement.

He noted China's remarkable progress in agricultural digitalization, specifically praising drone technology for precision sowing with advanced route positioning to ensure uniform seed distribution, which has revolutionized planting quality and efficiency. These drones also have real-time field monitoring capabilities, reporting crop data and early signs of pests or diseases.

Serneels expressed his hope that more young Europeans would visit China to engage in immersive dialogue and discover the country's stories firsthand.