Mr Jin, who took over the Christchurch-based role last month, made his first visit to Dunedin and the Chinese Garden during a two-day trip that ended yesterday.
The garden was a strong symbol of Dunedin's close links with China and the only garden of its kind in New Zealand, he said.
He said he was impressed by the high quality of the garden and its associated architecture, during a visit to the facility yesterday.
And he had also greatly enjoyed his first visit to Dunedin, appreciating the wide range of attractions and the diversity of the city's cultural heritage.
There had recently been a strong increase in Chinese tourism in the South Island.
He had already seen several groups of Chinese tourists during his Dunedin visit and believed there would also be a ''further increase'' in Chinese tourism to the city over the next couple of years, bringing significant economic benefits.
He emphasised the value of cultural exchanges and hoped to encourage more Chinese cultural performers to visit Dunedin.
He was also keen to encourage greater use of the Chinese Garden, including by Chinese tourists. Yesterday afternoon Mr Jin also made a visit, at his request, to the Southern Cemetery to see the recently restored gravestones of early Chinese settlers, including gold miners.
Such early Chinese immigrants had worked hard and contributed strongly to the development of Dunedin and Otago, often under difficult circumstances, he said.
And he appreciated ''all those people who had gone to so much effort'' to restore the gravestones.
