QINGDAO -- Officials and delegates from 16 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries toured east China's coastal city of Qingdao on Friday, on the sidelines of the SCO Forum on People-to-People Friendship currently being held in the city.

As part of their tour, the visitors enjoyed a sweeping, panoramic view of the city and its harbour from iconic Xiaoyushan Park.

At the Qingdao Beer Museum, a must-see in this world-renowned "city of beer," visitors immersed themselves in the brewery's century-old history, exploring vintage equipment and the current production line.

The delegates were also offered insights into China's technological advancements at the headquarters of Hisense, a major appliance and electronics manufacturer, where 3D hyper-realistic digital humans, smart cabins for new energy vehicles, high-tech chips and smart home appliances were on display.

The SCO Forum on People-to-People Friendship opened on Thursday with the theme of "Carrying Forward the Shanghai Spirit and Promoting Friendly Cooperation."

The event is being attended both online and offline by more than 400 international guests.

In addition to the main forum, three sub-forums covering scientific and technological innovation, education and cultural exchanges, and poverty reduction and development were held on Thursday.

An exhibition on cooperation between SCO members, highlighting friendships between sister cities in member nations, was also held during the event.

Initiatives launched at the SCO forum included the China (Shandong) - SCO Countries Friendly Cooperation and Exchange Season and the SCO Teenager Sports and Culture Festival.