Updated

The billionaire founder of Chinese conglomerate Tiens Group is treating 3,000 of his best salespeople to a traditional Spanish paella dinner during a free Madrid trip that also includes a bullfight and a tour of King Felipe VI's Royal Palace.

The smiling crowds washed down heaping plates of paella with sangria Friday at a massive spread of picnic tables in a riverside park during the event footed by Li Jinyuan and organized by China's U Tour travel company.

U Tour deputy manager Zhang Xilai says the tour for the group of mostly health care products salespeople cost 7 million euros ($8 million).

The trip comes a year after Li took 6,400 to France.

Zhang says fewer salespeople went this year because of higher sales targets and stiffer competition in China.