Officials from the central Chinese province of Henan and the St. Petersburg City government held tourism cooperation talks Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Zhang Guangzhi, Deputy Governor of Henan Province, said in a speech that Henan, as China's largest province in terms of population and agriculture, is endowed with a long history as one of the main cradles of Chinese civilization.

Henan Province is committed to further innovation of tourism structure and more investment in construction, Zhang said after giving an overview of Henan's tourism industry.

Zhang also extended a warm invitation to his Russian friends to visit China and to promote friendly relations between the two countries.

Henan is famous for its rich cultural and historical heritages, including the Yin dynasty ruins at Anyang City, the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Between Sky and Earth at Dengfeng. Henan is also home to the world-famous martial arts traditions of Shaolin and taiqi.

The Henan delegation also took part in the 8th Russian International Tourism Fair in Moscow during their visit to Russia.