The 2026 MITM Malaysia International Travel Mart has recently kicked off at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Seen as a bellwether for Southeast Asia’s cultural tourism sector, the event brings together 34 leading travel organizations from around the world, with total visitor numbers exceeding 90,000.

At the lively Shandong pavilion, Heze — widely known as China’s Peony Capital — catches the eye with its signature peony culture. Beyond promoting travel routes, the city showcases the intangible cultural heritage of peony stone rubbing alongside creative cultural products, offering Southeast Asian visitors interactive and tangible cultural experiences.

Live rubbing demonstrations have become a top draw, attracting local residents, overseas Chinese and tourism practitioners to try the craft firsthand. The Heze delegation also held in-depth talks with local tourism firms on study-tour resources, cross-border sales and co-branding, expanding its Southeast Asian network as Malaysia remains a core source market for Shandong.