After attending the 10th BRICS Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Mauritius on Friday for a friendly visit. Here are some fun facts about Mauritius. /CGTN Photo

Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is situated in the main shipping channel of the Indian Ocean, and will play a key role in the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. /VCG Photo

The capital and largest city of the African country is Port Louis, consisting more than 40 percent of the island’s population. /VCG Photo

Mauritius is known for its varied flora and fauna, and was the only known home of the extinct dodo. The four-million-year-old relative of the pigeon is the national bird of the country. /VCG Photo

Sugarcane occupies almost 80 percent of the hilly country and is the major cash crop grown on the island. /VCG Photo

Offering picture-perfect beaches with warm water, swaying palm trees and mountainous backdrops of lush greenery, Mauritius has attracted visitors from all over the world for decades. Mark Twain wrote: “Mauritius was made first and then heaven, and heaven was copied after Mauritius.” /VCG Photo

This section of open land, which is a famous scenic spot, consists of sand dunes in seven colors: brown, red, violet, purple, blue, green and yellow. /VCG Photo

A significant proportion of people living in Mauritius are of Chinese descent, known as Sino-Mauritians. They came to the island between the 17th and 19th centuries. /VCG Photo

China is Mauritius’s second largest trade partner. In 2016, the total trade volume between China and Mauritius hit 778 million US dollars. /VCG Photo