She said she likes Sichuan because it is similar to her home country's hospitable weather, slow pace of life and spicy food.

In Chengdu, Ravidini took a 40-minute walk from her hotel to Jinli Street, which was built in the ancient Chinese construction style. When she asked for directions, she was impressed with the local hospitality.

While in Xi'an, Ravidini rode a bicycle on the city wall. "I enjoyed the ride. We have a city wall in Sri Lanka, too," she said.

Before winding up their trip to Sichuan, she and the China Deep Dive program participants attended a lecture entitled "To the mountains and rivers: Inheritance and innovation in China's West".

The lecturer, Professor Zhang Ying from Peking University's Guanghua School of Management, shared his insights and answered questions.