Where Street Bustles and Cultural Tourism Thrives－Xunyang District's Intangible Cultural Heritage Shines Anew As Trendy Plays Win Popularity

On bustling streets, culture and tourism come alive. When a thousand years of intangible cultural heritage becomes youthful and energetic, Xunyang District integrated culture into tourism in this May Day holiday. By the virtue of a brand-new cultural tourism model, it triggered a holiday consumption boom that presented strong public appeal.

During the holiday period, Xunyang District received over 829,000 visitors, with total tourism revenue exceeding 786 million yuan, growing by 10.6% and 8.6% respectively. Key attractions such as Dazhonglu Historical Street and Xunyang River Scenic Area were particularly packed, showcasing the cultural and tourism charm of this thousand-year-old city.

Xunyang has tapped deeply into its local cultural roots, bringing intangible heritage from museum displays to the streets. Live-action performances recreated the bustling trade scenes of the ancient city, while folk shows such as dock chants and Xihe opera take the stage. Vintage scenes like qianzhuang (a traditional Chinese private financial institution that provided exchange, deposits and loans before the modern banking system) and rice stores revived the historical atmosphere. 200-meter-long Table Banquet made a stunning debut, bringing together shrimp-shaped lanterns parades, traditional Cuisine and folk experiences. Paper-cutting, stone rubbing and traditional craft demonstrations gave visitors a chance to get in touch with the city’s culture.

The 2026 “Hip－Hop Dance in Xunyang” Spring Competition ignited the entire city, drawing about 400 dancers from Jiangxi province and beyond. The youthful vibe of trendy street dance blended perfectly with the bustling atmosphere of the century-old streets—making the ancient city both culturally profound and warmly trendy.

Where urban life thrives, cultural tourism endures. Looking ahead, Xunyang District will continue to deepen the integration of culture, commerce and tourism, polish its intangible cultural heritage brands and create more trendy cultural tourism experiences—so that this thousand-year-old city keeps gaining new vitality, welcoming visitors to join its cultural and travel journey.