Camping tourism is driving a new wave of consumption, while captivating performances offer new immersive experiences. New cultural tourism products are emerging, and fresh cultural activities abound. Since the beginning of the year, the Changchun Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism (hereafter referred to as the Bureau) has focused on becoming a national pacesetter for culture and tourism, working towards developing Changchun's 500-billion-yuan-scale tourism industry by accelerating the deep culture-tourism integration, enhancing the supply capacity of high-quality cultural tourism products, and advancing both the culture sector and cultural tourism industry. In the first half of this year, Changchun hosted 80.3072 million tourists, up 34.8% year-on-year, generating RMB 143.63 billion in tourism revenue, a year-on-year increase of 54.2%. A full-time, all-season, all-region, and full-industry-chain development pattern is steadily taking shape.

 

Accelerating Development of the Cultural Tourism Industry

 

Injecting New Vitality into the Market

 

Changchun International Movie Metropolis's hotel complex is open for business, the second phase of the Changchun Film and Television Cultural and Creative Incubation Park is in full swing, and the Lianhuashan Dreamland project has commenced construction. Since the beginning of the year, Changchun has actively planned for "six new industries" and "four new facilities". The city is using project construction as a driver to fuel a new cultural tourism "engine".

 

This year, the city has planned 108 cultural tourism projects with an investment of over RMB 50 million each, among which RMB 6.515 billion has already been invested in the first half. New projects like the Dream Stars Aerospace Science and Education Museum, Lotus Island Tank Park, and Campers in Changchun New Area have been put into operation successively. Meanwhile, key projects under construction like Changchun International Movie Metropolis, Wanda Mall, and Banyan Tree are progressing steadily. Changchun is also actively introducing new elements, new experiences, and new scenes, such as metaverse-themed cultural tourism products, immersive small theater "Star Space", and urban concerts, catering to the diverse needs of tourists.

 

The city continues to strengthen projects as the "cornerstone" of growth. During the Jilin Provincial Tourism Development Conference held in mid-June, Changchun signed agreements for 11 major cultural tourism projects, with a total contract value of RMB 10.81 billion. Among them, the Lianhuashan Dreamland project and CC GAS Dongjiao Gas 1985 project secured investments of RMB 3 billion, injecting new vitality into Changchun's cultural tourism market.

 

In addition to introducing and advancing projects, the city is also promoting the development of a national demonstration zone for culture-tourism integration, centered around the Jingyue High-tech Zone and Lianhuashan Ecotourism Resort. In April, the Changchun Cultural Tourism Film and Television Investment Group was upgraded to a first-level enterprise, further enhancing the integration of cultural tourism resources across the city and giving full play to the role of state-owned platforms to open new pathways for industrial development.

 

Making Solid Progress in Cultural Development

 

Boosting Flourishing Public Cultural Activities

 

Not long ago, the 2024 Changchun Cultural Tourism Street Music Festival, themed "Love Life, Love Music, and Love Changchun", lit up the streets in the rain, with various styles of music echoing throughout the city. The fusion of traditional culture with modern music showcased Changchun's romantic spirit. In the first half of this year, over 300 such public cultural activities have taken place.

 

Activities like cultural flash mobs in scenic spots, New Year Yangko gatherings, village galas for all seasons, and square dance competitions have been well received by the public. Among them, the Second Changchun Citizen Chorus Season concluded successfully, with its short videos receiving over 12 million views online, interpreting the era connotation of "Changchun is always Changchun" through song. Additionally, the city carried out a public training program for citizens, benefiting 250,000 people in the first half of this year.

 

As public cultural activities flourish, artistic creation is thriving as well. The Ping Opera Zhang Boju gained the support of the China National Arts Fund, becoming the only selected Ping Opera work in 2024. The Changchun Acrobatic Troupe performed internationally, showcasing exquisite traditional skills abroad. The Second "Four Seasons in Changchun" National Oil Painting Masters Portraying attracted many citizens and art enthusiasts. What's more, resident performances like the drama Nanmen Kezhan and the Ping Opera Three Men & A Girl have been staged over 30 times, providing visitors with a feast for the eyes and ears.

 

Robust Tourism Growth

 

With "All-Season Tourism" Thriving

 

From snowy landscapes to blooming spring flowers, from lush summer greenery to the golden hues of autumn, Changchun has fully leveraged its seasonal cultural tourism resources and built a tourism framework that links spring, summer, autumn, and winter and promotes distinctive tourism experiences in each season. During key holidays such as New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Festival, Labor Day, and Dragon Boat Festival, Changchun's tourist numbers and tourism revenue have repeatedly hit new records.

 

The city is solidifying its brand advantage in ice and snow. The 2023–2024 snow season has seen Changchun in the spotlight as a great ice and snow destination. Leading the way is Changchun New World of Ice and Snow, supported by four major ski resorts and 10 snow amusement parks, forming a "1+4+10" product system. Popular attractions like "Xuebing Monkey" and G54 Cultural Tourism Special Tram have become viral hits. For the first time, Jilin University Museum of Geology, FAW Hongqi Culture Exhibition Hall, and CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles High-speed Train Manufacturing Base, among others, have been opened to tourists. Estimates show that during the 2023–2024 snow season, Changchun welcomed 59.7079 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 76.02%, generating RMB 112.539 billion in tourism revenue, a year-on-year increase of 127.03%.

 

Efforts to develop spring and summer tourism products continue to build on the momentum of the snow season. The Bureau has launched more than 20 boutique routes across eight categories, including "flower viewing, spring outings, fruit picking, study tours, self-driving trips, cultural and museum tours, and camping". Events like the First College Students' Spring Outing Season and the First Kite Carnival have been highly popular among tourists.

 

In line with the growing trends of camping and micro-vacations, the city has implemented the innovative "Hundreds of Campsites and Tens of Thousands of Tents" initiative, setting up 180 premium campsites and more than 100,000 tent spots. With the 2024 Changchun Camping Conference as its platform, the city has promoted the new theme of "Refreshing Changchun, Camping for the Summer", while building a new brand as the "Top Choice for Camping in Northern China", releasing the Electronic Camping Map, and hosting the 2024 Changchun Camping Conference & Cool Camping Season. A series of activities like "Camping + Sports", "Camping + Music", and "Camping + Food" have been launched, enriching tourists' camping experience and boosting the appeal of camping. At the Jingyuetan Sunrise Sunset Shore Camp, music performances, art salons, fireside talks, open-air movie watching, and other wonderful activities have created a relaxed and enjoyable camping atmosphere. Meanwhile, at the Qingyifang Yun CAMP, the two-day Northward Music Festival has brought extra energy and fashion to the summer. At the Asayama Star Camp, the 2024 Lianhuashan Self-Driving and Camping Festival has combined vibrant camping with gourmet food. Across Changchun's many campsites, weekly events feature fresh and exciting activities, attracting numerous visitors. Since May, the city has hosted over 2 million camping tourists, creating a new growth point for cultural tourism consumption.

 

Integrating and Upgrading Cultural Tourism Resources

 

Laying a Solid Foundation for Cultural and Museum Industries

 

Changchun is especially lively in 2024, featuring live-action dramas, music festivals, concerts, etc.

 

To further stimulate cultural tourism consumption, the city is striving to establish itself as one of the first national cultural tourism consumption demonstration cities. A focus has been placed on developing new cultural tourism products that combine "life scenarios with beautiful landscapes". Projects like the live-action drama Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army at the Movies Culture Holiday Resort of Lotus Island and the immersive show Xuan Mo at the Palace Museum of the Manchurian Regime have been created, alongside high-quality music festivals such as Angela Zhang World Tour, Xidu Music Festival, and Northward Music Festival.

 

Meanwhile, the city has integrated cultural tourism resources, promoted the upgrading of relevant infrastructure, initiated the level assessment and application process for A-level tourist attractions, A-level rural tourism businesses, and C-level guesthouses, and advanced the grade recognition of the first batch of "Jixingzhu" tourist accommodation establishments. A comprehensive survey has been conducted on the base number of A-level tourist attractions, cultural industry parks (bases), and animation companies, as well as the current status of and upgrade plans for cultural tourism infrastructure, ensuring a better and safer experience for tourists.

 

Moreover, the city is actively promoting exhibition and display projects. Tracing the Origin of Changchun: The Exhibition of Changchun's Early Civilization at the Changchun Museum was successfully selected as a recommended project for the 2024 exhibition of "Reading China in Museums: Promoting Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture and Nurturing Core Socialist Values". The Changchun Museum's cloud exhibition was recognized as the 2024 outstanding project for promoting Chinese cultural relics through new media. Additionally, the Changchun Museum, along with 16 other museums, was recognized as the first primary and secondary school study and practice education bases in Jilin, while 12 museums, including the Palace Museum of the Manchurian Regime, were designated as the first batch of study tour bases in Changchun.

 

 

 

Source: Changchun Daily  Editor: Li Ye