More than 2.5 million tourists visited the West Lake in East China's Zhejiang province during the May Day holidays. What caught the attention of many of them was the presence of a team of eight international students, wearing yellow vests and Bluetooth headsets, and riding hoverboards.

The eight, who included those from India and Mongolia, were studying in Hangzhou, Zhejiang's provincial capital. They had formed the first international volunteer team serving at the historic spot listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.

Foreign students a guiding force at Hangzhou's West Lake heritage site

"As Hangzhou is seeing an increasing number of international individual travelers following the G20 Summit (held in 2016) and the UNESCO listing, we have been considering how to diversify our volunteer forces during holidays and peak seasons for years," said Liu Jian, director of the volunteer program.

The site sees thousands of Chinese volunteers and hundreds of security guards on a daily basis during peak seasons. Last October, when it saw a record number of travelers, the administrators decided to seek help from local universities for international volunteers, Liu said.

Spanning a total area of 60 square kilometers in the heart of Hangzhou, the site features an expansive artificial lake, one of the country's oldest Buddhist temples, and lush green hills.

It was one of the most popular tourist spots among millions of domestic travelers, along with the Great Wall and Forbidden City, during the recent holidays.

"It's not just about giving the tourists directions to the toilet or asking people not to smoke," said Bela Nitesh Parmar, one of the students selected from among more than 50 candidates for the volunteer program.

"The more I help others, the more confidence and positive energy I earn for myself," said the sophomore student of Zhejiang University of Technology, who is from India.

The 20-year-old said she has learned more about the history of the place to become a better volunteer.

Led by Wu Liangliang, a security guard who has gained online fame for his fluent self-taught English, the volunteer team has also been part of the site's efforts to provide a more personal touch, in addition to the city government's introduction of various measures, including a mobile app, to help tourists.

Larry Goodrich, from Seattle, the United States, who has been traveling with his wife in the Yangtze River Delta region for three weeks, lauded the volunteers' contribution.

Having worked in the computer industry since "the era of brick-sized cell phone", the 65-year-old said while technology has provided unimaginable convenience, traveling is about being a part of the destination and interacting with local residents.

"The human connection is always better," said Goodrich.