From November 12 to 13, a delegation comprising international organizations, government departments, tourism agencies, diplomatic missions in China, tourism enterprises, mountain tourism destination management bodies, and experts from countries and regions including Russia, Italy, Lebanon, Colombia, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Nepal, and Sri Lanka conducted an in-depth research tour of characteristic mountain culture, tourism, and sports projects in Guiyang, Zhenfeng, and Anshun city of Guizhou Province. Through field inspections and on-site exchanges, the delegation gained thorough insight into the new formats and development achievements of Guizhou's mountain tourism, facilitating relevant cooperation.
Group photo of the delegation members
The delegation visited key projects such as the Anshun Baojiatun Scenic Area, the Huajiang Canyon Bridge Tourism Zone, the Huangguoshu Doupotang Scenic Area, and the Guiyang Qingyun Market. They systematically studied the local practices in developing mountain tourism resources, innovating tourism formats, and preserving cultural heritage.
At the Anshun Baojiatun Scenic Area, the delegation immersed themselves in the harmonious coexistence of 600-year-old Ming Dynasty garrison history with the landscape and vernacular architecture. Stone-built houses nestle against the mountains, cultural heritage like Hanfu from Fengyang and Anshun Dixi opera are well-preserved, and a watermill room, hailed as a "Miniature Dujiangyan Irrigation System," remains operational after six centuries. Together, these elements exemplify the deep integration of natural endowment and cultural heritage, providing a living model for the sustainable development of mountain tourism.
Anshun Dixi Performance
The scale of the "mega project" that is the Huajiang Canyon Bridge astounded the delegation. A pinnacle of world-class bridge engineering, it spans 2,890 meters in total, soars across the canyon with a main span of 1,420 meters, and features a deck width of 33.6 meters, standing majestically amidst the precipitous landscape. In the future, leveraging a "bridge-tourism integration" development model, the bridge is set to become a comprehensive destination combining sightseeing, outdoor sports, and transportation-tourism services, adding significant value to Guizhou's mountain tourism through both its engineering and landscape merits.
Huajiang Canyon Bridge in Guizhou
In the Huangguoshu Scenic Area, the delegation experienced the innovative "Night Tour of Doupotang." This project draws its essence from the 1986 version of "Journey to the West," featuring the original immersive fantasy play "Journey to the West: Reloaded," which cleverly integrates classic storylines with Huangguoshu's enchanting landscape and local folklore. It not only allows visitors to personally trace the legendary pilgrimage path but also showcases the dynamic, evolving vitality of Guizhou's mountain tourism through this novel cultural presentation.
Scene from the immersive fantasy play "Journey to the West: Reloaded"
The Guiyang Qingyun Market demonstrated to the delegation the organic integration of mountain tourism and urban vibrancy. Here, traditional snacks carry the memories of local life, ethnic-style cultural and creative products lead consumption trends, and diverse businesses attract a wide range of visitors. It stands as a typical example of the "city-landscape integration" development model, offering a successful case study on how mountain tourism can be woven into the urban fabric.
Delegation visits the Guiyang Qingyun Market
During the research, international industry representatives and experts spoke highly of Guizhou's mountain tourism. Dharma Raj Panthi, Immediate Past President of the Gandaki Trekking Agency Association of Nepal, summarized the core strengths of Guizhou's mountain tourism with three key phrases: "breathtaking natural landscapes," "profound cultural heritage," and "mature development and operation." He emphasized that it is the deep integration and organic synergy of these three elements that together build the unique competitiveness and irreplicable charm of Guizhou as a "Mountain Kingdom," providing a valuable practical example for global mountain tourism development.
Wei Jian, General Manager of Public Affairs at Ma Fengwo, stated that Guizhou possesses unique resource advantages, well-known core IPs, and diverse innovative offerings. He pointed out that the current focus should be on understanding the personalized needs of different tourist source markets and achieving supply-demand matching through refined promotion and flexible services to further unleash consumption potential. He emphasized that proactively leveraging the wave of AI technology will empower Guizhou to achieve greater breakthroughs on the path of high-quality integrated cultural and tourism development.
A tourism format in Guizhou – the Qingyun Market
This research initiative not only provided valuable international perspectives and industry recommendations for the development of Guizhou's mountain tourism but also highlighted its unique competitiveness and broad development prospects in this field. Moving forward, Guizhou will continue to deepen innovation in the integration of culture and tourism, focus on evolving market demands, harness technological empowerment, and drive the mountain tourism industry towards higher quality and more distinctive development.
Image and text source: IMTA
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen
Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang
Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong
