Cultural-Tourism Integration Innovates for Transformation, Industrial Development Advances with Innovation
Updated: 2025.07.01

In the radiant days of June, Sichuan's tapestry of wonders welcomes peak travel season. From Kuanzhai Alley to Jiuzhaigou, from Sanxingdui to San Su Shrine, a continuous stream of domestic and international travelers explores this cultural panorama. Adorable giant pandas in their playful poses, the breathtaking landscapes of western Sichuan's hidden gems, and the vibrant flavors of authentic Sichuan cuisine, this blend of natural wonders and cultural richness paints a portrait of "Leisurely Sichuan" in all its diversity to the world.

In recent years, Sichuan has persisted in leveraging culture to shape tourism and tourism to highlight culture, cultivating the cultural tourism sector as a pillar industry. Sichuan's cultural and tourism sector ranks first in the western region and among the nation's top performers in both scale and quality, contributing 11.97 percent to the province's GDP. From 2022 to 2024, the cultural and tourism industry in Sichuan Province witnessed rapid growth. The domestic visitor numbers jumped from 636 million to 1.119 billion, and the total spending of domestic tourists increased from 705.994 billion yuan to 1.76 trillion yuan. The consumption vitality ignited by cultural-tourism integration is emerging as a new engine for economic growth.

The seventh plenary session of the 12th CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee proposed to "advance the deep integration of culture and tourism and develop a stronger, more robust cultural tourism industry". Just one week after the plenary session, the second-quarter themed media tour "Diverse Prevailing Features of Sichuan" for 2025 was launched. Over four days, the press corps split into three teams to cover ten cities (prefectures) under the theme of "Cultural-Tourism Integration". The journalists traversed revolutionary heartlands and ancient towns, explored industrial heritage sites and lively historic settlements, and immersed themselves in the region's unique ecological beauty and cultural richness.

Standing at this new juncture, how can Sichuan scale even greater heights through deeper cultural-tourism integration? The press corps sought answers while traversing the land, uncovering insights mile after mile.

Seeking Innovation for Transformation, Pursuing Living Transmission

Traditional Culture as a New Resource in Tourism

As the integration of culture and tourism emerges as a new engine for regional economic growth, Sichuan has adopted an approach both pragmatic and visionary. Leveraging its rich endowments—including six World Heritage sites, 262 major historical and cultural sites under national-level protection, and 52 national-level intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items—the province is pioneering a transformative path from static preservation to dynamic transmission, converting cultural capital into developmental momentum.

The destinations along these three media routes offer vivid footnotes to the cultural diversity of Sichuan.

The northern route paints a cultural landscape blending revolutionary heritage with traditional charm—Zitong's Liangdan Cheng immortalizes China's "Two Bombs and One Satellite" spirit, while Langzhong Ancient Town, framed by Ming-Qing architecture, preserves the vibrant warmth of ICH items like door-god paintings and Baoning vinegar.

The southern route celebrates poetic elegance and urban renewal. The Daya Tang (Grand Elegance Hall) in Danling County, Meishan City, preserves millennium-old stone inscriptions of Du Fu's poems, which were transcribed from Huang Tingjian's calligraphic works. Chengdu's Eastern Suburb Memory repurposes industrial relics into a pulsating epicenter of "guochao" (Chinese fashion trend) culture.

The western route highlights revolutionary legacy and ethnic traditions. Luding Long March National Cultural Park immerses visitors in the memories of the Red Army's epic journey, and the diaolou clusters in Danba's Jiaju Tibetan Village and Lixian County's Taoping Qiang Village bear witness to the thousand-year inheritance of Tibetan and Qiang cultures.

How can profound cultural heritage truly come alive? During days of field trips, journalists uncovered the answers in the telling details.

In Deyang's Mianzhu New Year Painting Village, former workshops that once stored painting drafts now serve as hands-on learning spaces. Guided by ICH representative inheritors, children practice rubbing the "Maid on Bicycle" woodcut, breathing new life into this millennium-old craft. "Last year, we hosted over 70,000 participants for New Year painting workshops, and in just the first half of this year, that number has already exceeded 50,000," said Li Yuehang, Vice Mayor of Xiaode Town, Mianzhu. These immersive experiences did more than attract visitors—they enabled travelers to connect with the essence of this traditional art through hands-on practice, Li added.

In Leshan's 1,400-year-old Suji Ancient Town, the historic commercial hub is reinvigorating itself through "ICH on the tip of tongue": Provincial-level ICH delicacies like Qiaojiang Beef and Sesame Oil Rice Crisps perfume the ancient streets, and the renowned "Gushi Xiang" Qiaojiao Beef restaurant now routinely serves about 5,000 customers daily during holidays. "Visitors come not just to eat, but to experience intangible heritage alive in everyday life," remarked Xu Yujie, manager of "Gushi Xiang" restaurant. Xu's words capture the essence of living heritage transmission—when ICH items transition from display cases to daily practice, they become the most vivid footnotes of culture.

If living heritage transmission keeps culture alive in the present, then contextual reinvention makes it accessible to all. The transformation of Chengdu's Eastern Suburb Memory stands as a paradigm of industrial heritage revitalization. Under the steel trusses of the repurposed factory, the "Shu Yan Fu", a spectacular culinary performance showcasing Han dynasty culture, continues to captivate audiences, with international tourists comprising over 30 percent of visitors and domestic travelers from outside Sichuan making up 40 percent. "We're committed to making traditional culture tangible and experiential," said Yang Zi, founder of the Shu Yan Fu brand.

At the Jianmen Pass and Cuiyun Corridor scenic areas, the immersive theatrical productions "Tree Audit Before Seal Transfer" and "Zhang Fei Plants Cypresses" have been staged hundreds of times. Visitors can either join an "Ancient Shu Roads Escort Team" to experience historical trade hardships, or earn free admission by reciting "Ode to Hard Roads to Sichuan". "Gone are the days of superficial 'check-in tourism'—now every step tells a story," remarked Wang Dapeng, a traveler from Jilin Province. His observation underscores the appeal of upgraded scenes: Cuiyun Corridor saw a 39.39 percent year-on-year visitor growth in 2024, while Jianmen Pass recorded a 16.1 percent year-on-year increase in holiday revenue during this year's Labor Day golden week.

When culture truly comes alive and becomes tangible, its value naturally extends into industrial development. The "Culture + Study Tour" initiative at Daya Tang in Danling County, Meishan, exemplifies this approach. This reconstructed "sanctuary of poetry and reading" has developed an interregional study route linking the Daya Tang with Lao'e Mountain's "Three Su Trails" and hosted over 100 study programs for primary and secondary students last year with 25,000 participants. "We are transforming these historic sites into 'living classrooms' for cultural transmission," said Zhu Dingchao, Director of the Daya Tang museum. Future plans also include establishing memorial halls for Su Dongpo and Huang Tingjian, extending cultural value into education, tourism and brand development, said Zhu.

At Sanxingdui, the transformation of a "top-tier IP" offers even more demonstrative significance. Wei Qing, Deputy Director of the Sanxingdui Museum Scenic Area Administrative Committee, stated that the museum received over six million visits in 2024, with annual sales of cultural creative products nearing 200 million yuan. The museum's collaboration with the hit game Genshin Impact generated 200 million topic views, transforming millennia-old relics into e-commerce superstars that boosted dining and hospitality industries across Guanghan and Deyang—shifting tourist behavior from "checking in at Sanxingdui" to "experiencing the entire city".

Behind these scenes and statistics lies a reality: regions across Sichuan are exploring a model of deep cultural-tourism integration that places culture at the core, experiences as the vehicle, and industrial expansion as the outcome, transforming traditional heritage into living resources that permeate daily life, drive consumption, and fuel economic growth.

Innovating from Tradition, Charting New Paths

"Culture-Tourism +" Expands with New Experiential Offerings


From digital guide screens beneath Cuiyun Corridor's ancient cypresses to the serene Moonlight Academy perched high in Yueba Village, from immersive sensory experiences by the Luding Bridge to Gen-Z gamers unlocking new adventures in Mengding Mountain, from picturesque drives along the viral Lixiao Road to tranquil stays in Xingfu Ancient Village and Danba's Tibetan dwellings, all parts of Sichuan are pioneering innovative all-region, all-sector models and paths for cultural-tourism integration, focusing on nurturing emerging formats, creating innovative arenas, stimulating consumption, and upgrading industries. The province's "Culture-Tourism +" initiatives are multiplying rapidly, demonstrating extraordinary vibrancy and growth potential.

While preserving the timeless character of ancient towns, we must also delve into our cultural heritage and actively embrace new industry models. Across Sichuan, historic towns and cities are exploring innovative pathways by leveraging "film &TV+" and "performance +" initiatives to boost visitor engagement. Leveraging its distinctive western Sichuan architectural charm and profound cultural heritage, Meishan's Liujiang Ancient Town has attracted film productions like "Back to 1915-1944" for location shooting, successfully incubating a "film+tourism" hybrid model. The ancient town drew over 3.85 million visits last year. Langzhong Ancient City in Nanchong has launched "The Legend of Langyuan", a large-scale real-scene show that brings the Three Kingdoms' battlefield epics and ethereal fairyland scenery into the theater through a 360-degree panoramic stage and glasses-free 3D technology, breathing fresh vitality into this millennium-old town.

"Low-altitude+" expands new dimensions for mountain ecotourism. Yuping Mountain in Hongya County has embraced the emerging low-altitude economy and introduced low-altitude aerial tourism projects like paragliding and powered hang gliding, allowing visitors to soar above endless forest canopies and witness the breathtaking "commanding view of surrounding peaks". The local government will further diversify tourism and economic offerings by exploring innovative applications like drone-assisted VR immersion and aquatic paragliding experiences. As the sky's dimension becomes fully accessible, the horizons of ecotourism expand accordingly.

"Technology +" enables and extends new sensory experiences. At the ancient Shu Roads in Cuiyun Corridor, digital technology now gives voice to millennium-old cypresses. Luding County has created a full-sense interactive space for presenting the "Battle at Luding Bridge", using VR/AR to transport visitors into the historic battle's intensity. Meanwhile, Lixian County has established an outdoor management center to incorporate popular hiking routes under standardized management and has also equipped viral hiking trails with geolocated emergency beacons and regular drone patrols to ensure trekker safety.

"Trendy code" attracts new visitors. Currently, the younger generation, predominantly Generation Z, has become the main force in cultural and tourism consumption. Actively developing new artistic and tourism products and scenarios that align with their interests has become the key to unlocking new consumption. In early June, Ya'an Mengding Mountain launched an immersive live-action role-playing game titled "Reborn: My Life as a Mengding Mountain Escort", which became an instant hit. Attracting nearly 500 participants daily, the experience allows visitors to delve into tea culture's unique charm through interactive storytelling and character immersion. From January to June this year, the scenic area recorded nearly 200,000 visitor entries, marking a 23 percent year-on-year increase. Leveraging trending online buzzwords, it introduced themed hiking routes such as "Low-Key Walker" (dan ren) and "High-Energy Explorer" (nong ren), which have collectively attracted over 100,000 participants in 2024.

While pursuing innovation and quality, many regions have simultaneously upgraded facilities and refined services to continuously meet the diverse needs of tourists.

In Lixian County's Mengtun Valley and along the viral Lixiao Road, the "Must-Drive 318 in This Lifetime" landmark has become a must-visit photo spot. Catering to young travelers' passion for road trips, the local government has strategically developed specialty campsites, scenic viewing platforms, and themed lodgings to create a comprehensive road trip ecosystem, drawing driving enthusiasts to answer "the call of mountains and rivers". The upgraded Sangangping RV Campground in Zanli Village, Luqiao Town, Luding County, Ganzi Prefecture, now offers a complete range of amenities following its 2024 renovation, including local snack stalls, supply supermarkets, tent rentals, free public restrooms, and EV charging stations, receiving over 200,000 tourist visits in 2024.

Through our observations, we witness how Sichuan's cultural and tourism sector is harnessing timeless heritage to craft contemporary narratives and transforming traditional assets into new economic momentum, continuously advancing the integrated "Cultural-Tourism + All Industries" and "All Industries + Cultural-Tourism" development model. Across Sichuan, regions are pioneering innovative cultural-tourism business formats, driving the creative transformation and innovative development of local heritage, while enhancing smart tourism services, diversifying consumer offerings, and revitalizing underutilized assets through market-oriented approaches—all to build an all-for-one, all-season, all-age, and round-the-clock high-quality cultural-tourism ecosystem.

Breaking Boundaries, Excelling Through In-Depth Demand Insight

Pursuing Both "Viral Fame" and "Lasting Success"


From Jiaozi's Ne Zha to Dao Lang's folk melodies, Li Ziqi's pastoral charm to Ding Zhen's Tibetan hometown— Sichuan's cultural treasures are now its defining new icons. Regions have recognized that the amplifying effect of online traffic can create new growth opportunities for cultural and tourism development. During our journey, we observed that a growing number of popular destinations are strategically channeling online buzz into lasting appeal, thoughtfully addressing tourists' evolving demands.

Going viral is just the start. Take the viral success of Lixiao Road—it revealed previously underestimated demand for scenic road trips. In response, local authorities have added infrastructure on the route, such as parking lots and charging stations, and plan to implement standardized management along popular photo spots through project-driven initiatives. The rise of Chengdu's East Suburb Memory as a hotspot is attributed to its alignment with the emerging "guochao" aesthetic favored by younger generations, coupled with the continuous introduction of cutting-edge brands. As the first village in Sichuan to be named among the "Best Tourism Villages" by UN Tourism, Taoping Qiang Village in Aba Prefecture has gained global recognition. Now, the local government is developing innovative tourism offerings, including fruit-picking experiences and intangible cultural heritage activities, to attract visitors to this mountainous destination and sustain its tourism momentum.

Riding the wave of success to pursue transformation, but how do we stay on top? Selong Village in Kangding's Kongyu Township, Ganzi, hailed by travelers as a "hidden fairyland", offers an answer. Instead of banking solely on its peony season fame, it has pivoted to cultivating longer-blooming roses in its mountain valleys, extending its appeal for immersive, romantic getaways. The village has also partnered with neighboring Xiaojin County in Aba Prefecture to expand the rose industry chain. Yueba Village has leveraged online platforms to showcase its scenic beauty and culinary delights, while offline, it has revitalized local traditions like the "One Specialty Nine Bowls" banquet and the lotus-picking boat festival, and transformed the heart-shaped islet in the lake into "China's Most Romantic Love Confession Spot", continuously iterating its traffic-generating strategies. Ya'an has embraced a strategy of integrating fragmented resources. Capitalizing on the homecoming of giant panda "Xiang Xiang" and the 144-hour visa-free transit policy boom, the city has partnered with travel agencies to roll out preferential inbound tour packages and also curated the "Visit Xiang Xiang, Explore Ya'an" travel routes and cultural creations, enriching the international tourism experience anchored in its panda IP.

The coordinated integration of culture, sports, tourism, and commerce has given rise to more diverse hybrid scenarios. Chengdu's Phoenix Hill Sports Park exemplifies this approach—its electrifying soccer matches and concerts have created a powerful "sports-entertainment + tourism" model that attracts premium sponsors. From Chongzhou in Chengdu to Mount Qingcheng, and from "Former Residence of Xiaoping" in Guang'an to Huaying Mountain's Stone Forest, Sichuan has launched its first ten low-altitude tourism routes, pioneering a new frontier in "low-altitude economy + cultural tourism" integration. Blockbusters like Ne Zha 2, I Belonged to You, and Big World have turned their Sichuan filming locations into must-visit destinations, attracting travelers from far and wide. Now, tours of the splendid Tianfu region aren't just about sightseeing—they are about stepping into the scenes and living the drama. Centered around the iconic IP "Must-Drive-in-This-Lifetime" G318 National Highway, renowned as "China's Most Scenic Cultural Route", the region now thrives with integrated transport and tourism development. Enhanced stops like Tianquan Service Area and Sangangping RV Campground allow road-trippers to linger longer, savoring both the breathtaking landscapes and authentic local flavors along the journey.

Technology enables high-quality development, broadening the horizons of integration. With the support of technologies like VR and digital twin, visitors can immerse themselves in the full-sensory interactive space of "Battle at Luding Bridge", stepping into a "historical moment" to witness the awe-inspiring events of the past. The Du Fu Thatched Cottage Museum has meticulously designed and launched a "Poetry Recitation Challenge" featuring selected verses from poems on Sichuan by Tang, Song, and Ming dynasty poets. It has innovatively incorporated an "AI Examiner + Expert Panel" evaluation system and will also debut an upgraded version of its "AI Du Fu" interactive experience. The Sanxingdui Museum employs holographic projection technology to recreate cultural relics with precision, enabling visitors to examine artifacts from every angle, showcasing how tech-driven archaeology, digital heritage, and virtual gaming are becoming new growth engines for the cultural industry.

Deeper integration drives prosperity across industries. Through ongoing convergence between supply and demand, Sichuan is unlocking the full potential of its all-for-one tourism model.

The industrial chain continues to expand. In Xiaojin County, Aba Prefecture, local initiatives like apple-picking tours and "adopt-an-apple-tree" programs (available both online and offline) have created a comprehensive tourism experience centered around apples, encompassing dining, accommodations, transportation, sightseeing, shopping and entertainment. Liangshan Prefecture leverages its "summer coolness + winter sunshine" advantages to create an all-for-one, round-the-clock tourism landscape. Through its "12+N" cultural tourism promotion activities, the region generated 11.839 billion yuan in tourism revenue during the 2024 Torch Festival month alone, a remarkable 44.18 percent year-on-year increase.

Cluster effects are emerging. In Xiaojin County, Aba Prefecture, roses have driven an industry worth over 50 million yuan. Villagers harvest the flowers, which local factories then process into essential oils, producing over 30 derivative products for domestic and international markets. The county also combines floral science popularization tours with Jiajin Mountain's Red Culture heritage, supporting Aba Prefecture's vision as a "study-travel destination". Meanwhile, high-altitude rose cultivation has been expanded to Selong Village in Kangding, Ganzi. The two places are now collaborating to unlock new growth opportunities for this blossoming industry. In southern China's "hot snow" wonderland, Sichuan's 50 ice-snow tourism resorts have united for clustered development. Scenic spots like Mount Emei and Xiling Snow Mountain, emblematic of Sichuan's winter tourism, are attracting more southern visitors to experience the winter charm.

In exploration lies practice, and in innovation lies transformation. As the press corps traveled across the province, journalists witnessed localities striving to explore the "culture-tourism + all industries" and "all industries + culture-tourism" models, continuously leveraging cultural tourism traffic to drive consumption growth and transform cultural tourism resource advantages into industrial development and tangible economic gains. The natural splendor and cultural richness of "Splendid Tianfu, Leisurely Sichuan" are blossoming vibrantly across the land.

Hosted by: General Office of the People's Government of Sichuan Province

Website Operation and Maintenance: China Telecom Sichuan Branch

Website Identification Code: 5100000062 Sichuan ICP No. 13001288

Sichuan Computer Information Network and Internet Security Record No. 51010402000507