Tempting travelers with a host of events makes Hubei city $7 billion

Yichang, Hubei province, is making efforts to advance its development of cultural tourism and provide unique experiences for visitors from around the world.

In the first half of this year, the city received 49.49 million visits and generated 51.39 billion yuan ($7.22 billion) in tourism revenue. This marks an increase of 13.37 percent compared with the same period of last year.

Behind the boom in the cultural tourism industry are a series of charming attractions.

Among them is Sanyoudong, or the Three Visitors Cave. It is located on a cliff of Xiling Mountain by the Yangtze River and endowed with picturesque scenery.

On the walls of the cave are many inscriptions engraved by noted poets and scholars in ancient China including Bai Juyi in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and Su Shi in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). These inscriptions are precious cultural relics of great value in calligraphy and historical research.

In modern times, Sanyoudong has seen new development after upgrades and transformation. Visitors can appreciate its natural beauty in the daytime and watch a stage play and light show in the cave at night.

Techniques such as 4D and interactive projection are used to show the culture of the ancient Chu State and tell stories of the Three Kingdoms (220-280).

When revisiting the cave after 20 years, Li Yi, a Yichang local, marveled at the harmony between the landscape and the rich culture.

In addition to Sanyoudong, watching a Tujia ethnic group folk performance at Changyang Folk Culture Village has become a top choice of tourists.

"With an increasing number of visitors coming to the cultural village, the folk art has become known by more people," said Qin Fachi, founder of Bashan dance. "Tourism serves as a carrier for culture, introducing it to a wider audience."

Yichang is also the hometown of Qu Yuan, a poet and statesman during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) who drowned himself in Miluo River out of despair over his fallen motherland.

There are many legends about Qu's death. Some of them are related to the custom of Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional holiday occurring on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar.

To commemorate him, the city has hosted the Qu Yuan's Hometown Dragon Boat Cultural Festival in Zigui county since 2010.

Visitors can experience traditional Chinese culture and enjoy a variety of activities, such as racing dragon boats, drinking realgar liquor, reciting poetry, dancing and staging firework shows.

A highlight of 2019's festival was that nearly 9,480 people gathered at Qu Yuan Square in Zigui county to wrap zongzi, a type of traditional Chinese food for Dragon Boat Festival. The gathering set a new Guinness World Record for the largest group of people preparing zongzi together.

Statistics showed that during the 2019 Dragon Boat Festival holiday, 2.09 million visitors came to Yichang. They brought 1.2 billion yuan in revenue.

According to local officials, the city witnesses various activities, festivals and competitions all year round. For example, the China Yangtze River Three Gorges International Tourism Festival and the Yuan'an Countryside Marathon, which lure thousands of people from home and abroad.

In the future, Yichang will explore and develop diverse tourism projects while upgrading the existing ones, officials said.

The project of Dangyang Guan Yu Cultural Tourism Town has been signed and the construction of Xialaoxi Resort Town and several tourism areas is progressing on schedule.

Zhang Linwan contributed to this story.

(China Daily 09/28/2019 page14)