THE beauty of the Cotswolds is soon to grace screens in the Far East, thanks to a visit to the area by a Chinese supermodel and social media star.

Liu Wen, who hosts a popular lifestyle and travel programme on the Chinese version of YouTube, came to the Cotswolds to star in a promotional film of the area which will be released later in spring.

The visit was organised by Cotswolds Tourism, in tandem with VisitBritain.

Miss Wen is also followed by almost nine million people on social media and the promotional film shows her exploring the Cotswold countryside and enjoying some of the traditional food and drink on offer.

The first port of call was meeting Emily Watkins, celebrity head chef and owner of the Kingham Plough, in Chipping Norton. Miss Watkins has appeared on TV many times including appearances on The Hairy Bikers and Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food series. She competed in the Great British Menu competition and won with her fish course. Recently, she was honoured to cook for war veterans at St Paul’s Cathedral when it hosted a banquet commemorating the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

"I'm totally in awe of Liu Wen,” said Emily Watkins. “Not only is she so beautiful, but also such fun to spend the morning with. I really enjoyed meeting her and hope she enjoyed the rest of her time in the Cotswolds."

Miss Wen also visited the Old Farm Dorn bed and breakfast near Moreton to see a unique 300-acre working farm with proprietor Sarah Righton. She was able to hold one of the farm's one-week-old Glam-rock piglets; a cross between Gloucester Old Spot, Hampshire and Duroc.

A whistle-stop tour of the district followed which took in Stow and Bourton.

Patricia Yates, Director of Strategy and Communications at VisitBritain said: “Inbound tourism from China is growing fast and Chinese tourists are particularly valuable to the UK economy, spending almost four times the average per visit. VisitBritain's aim is to make Britain the most welcoming destination for Chinese visitors in Europe, so we’re thrilled that Liu Wen was so impressed by the hospitality she experienced in the Cotswolds.

The Cotswolds is currently featuring in VisitBritain’s ‘GREAT Names for GREAT Britain' which is encouraging Chinese people to give Mandarin names to 101 points of interest across Britain, with the aim of inspiring Chinese visitors to explore a wider range of destinations across the country.”