Photo taken on Jan. 21, 2022 shows the snow scenery of Pingyao Ancient Town in Jinzhong City, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo by Liang Shengren/Xinhua) 

North China's Shanxi Province has recently signed an agreement with Zimbabwe's Matabeleland North Province to establish cooperative friendship and partnership, reported the local newspaper Shanxi Daily on Sunday.

The Matabeleland North Province, where Victoria Falls, a World Heritage site and major tourist attraction, is located, has full potential in tourism. It also boasts rich mineral resources, such as coal.

Nourished by the Yellow River and the Loess Plateau, Shanxi province in northern China is known as one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization preserving the heritages of over 5,000 years.

As China's energy base, Shanxi has produced coal that powered half of China's light bulbs and propelled the country's industrialization.

With strenuous efforts to accelerate green development, the coal-rich province has made significant progress in industry transformation, ecological restoration, urban and rural overall planning and people's livelihood has also greatly improved.

Shanxi has also made big stride in developing holistic tourism, with places of interest, including Wutai Mountain, the Ancient City of Pingyao, Yungang Grottoes favored by domestic and overseas tourists.

With various of similarities between the two sides, the signing of the agreement is expected to play an important role in promoting international cooperation in cultural tourism, energy industry developmentand urban planning.