Beijing will stage more than 2,000 cultural and tourism activities during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, ranging from traditional opera and cultural markets to concerts, outdoor activities and rural harvest experiences.
The Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau announced the program on Sept 16, with activities being organized across the city's districts.
The bureau has selected 60 featured activities in five categories — cultural performances, autumn sightseeing, food markets, traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage, and sports.
Baidu Maps will provide AI-powered recommendations and navigation to the featured venues, while ride-hailing platform Didi will offer travel coupons and Trip.com Group will release Beijing travel guides and promotional products.
Among the highlights is the 10th Chinese Opera Culture Week, which will take place from Sept 29 to Oct 5 at Beijing Garden Expo Park. The event will feature opera performances, makeup experiences, concerts, poetry recitals, markets and technology-enhanced activities.
The fourth Beijing International Canal Arts Fest will run from Sept 24 to 27 at Canal Culture Square in Tongzhou district. It will bring together 14 performing groups from 13 countries for 22 performances, alongside a market featuring food, cultural and creative products and interactive activities.
The city will also introduce 10 themed routes around the Great Wall and 10 routes exploring the cultural heritage of the Grand Canal.
Traditional Mid-Autumn celebrations will be held at various venues, including the Lugou Dawn Moon Mid-Autumn Culture Festival, which will feature poetry events. Other programs include moon-viewing events, lantern displays, traditional handicrafts and folk activities at the Beijing Folklore Museum, Shougang Park and Fragrant Hills Park.
The city's public cultural service institutions will also offer more than 430 activities, including performances, reading programs, handicraft workshops, lectures and exhibitions.
The holiday season will feature a busy theater and concert schedule as well. Beijing has already put 419 commercial performance productions on sale, with 1,775 performances scheduled, according to the bureau.
Beyond the city center, Beijing will promote 20 suburban tourism routes highlighting boutique homestays, village cafes, harvest activities, traditional handicrafts and night tours. Rural districts will organize autumn flower and foliage viewing, fruit picking and local food events.
The city will also strengthen holiday services and safety measures and promote responsible tourism, according to the municipal culture and tourism bureau.
