Xinhua Headlines: Traditional Chinese culture fuels immersive summer travel fervor

* This summer, traditional Chinese culture has been gaining new appeal as global tourists embrace more fresh offerings rooted in China's rich heritage, especially those that enable them to enjoy immersive experiences.

* Both domestic and international students take part in study tours during the ongoing summer vacation to gain hands-on experience of traditional Chinese culture.

* In recent years, a growing number of cultural products rooted in traditional Chinese culture have gained traction for their efforts to weave iconic cultural elements into modern narratives and sparked real-life travel trends toward related locations.

BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Clad in flowing traditional Chinese robes, a group of young overseas visitors of Chinese descent stepped into a lantern-lit cultural district in the ancient city of Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, immersing themselves in a historical world they had seen only on screen.

"The moment I walked through the gate, the whole setting made me feel like traveling back more than a thousand years," said a group member from Singapore.

During their visit last week, these visitors snapped photos, watched live performances, and played time-honored street games in the recreated streetscape modeled on Chang'an, capital of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

As the country's first immersive block featuring Tang-style street life, the project, which opened to the public in 2022, was upgraded earlier this year to create a more engaging atmosphere. To date, it has recorded over 7.5 million domestic and international visits.

"We aim to attract more people through the modern expression of traditional aesthetics," said Zou Linfeng, head of the tourism project.

The attraction offers a glimpse into a broader trend. This summer, traditional Chinese culture has been gaining new appeal as global tourists embrace more fresh offerings rooted in China's rich heritage.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES

Today, visitors are not satisfied with mere sightseeing of cultural landmarks across the country. Instead, they are seeking immersive experiences that forge a deeper connection with traditional Chinese culture.

Guofeng (Chinese-style) immersive tours have thus become a draw for visitors this summer. Data from Tongcheng Travel, a leading Chinese online travel agency, showed that as of Thursday, searches for keywords such as "Guofeng" and "immersive" on the platform had more than doubled month on month.

Langfang, a city adjacent to Beijing in north China's Hebei Province, has lately ranked among the top 10 destinations for such tours, according to the platform. Many visitors flock to this place for a theater complex drawing inspiration from a Chinese literary classic.

Named "Unique Dream of Red Mansion," the attraction features 55 innovative plays, including those inspired by the seminal 18th-century novel "A Dream of Red Mansions" and independent ones, turning traditional Chinese literature into accessible, tangible, and interactive cultural spaces.

A recent highlight is a debut production consisting of 35 micro-theaters, where visitors draw and swap cards to chart their own viewing journey. Within each theater, viewers sit just steps from the actors, becoming part of the narrative itself.

Wang Chaoge, general director of the theater complex, explained that such productions are designed to allow each viewer to participate in the play as it unfolds, while delivering even greater emotional intensity within a short span of time.

Wang described the entire complex as a new form of theatrical landscape -- a sprawling cluster of theaters seamlessly integrated with vast, immersive gardens, inviting visitors to explore its possibilities.

"After you leave, a part of you will linger here, immersed for a long time," said Wang. "Throughout the place, what we provide is an experience, and this experience is my sole top priority -- not plot, not stories."

Wang's innovation has proved a smash hit. Since its opening in 2023, the theater complex has staged approximately 24,000 performances and received over 14 million visits.

Zhao Yu, a second-time visitor from north China's Tianjin, noted that the venue provides a completely different experience from traditional theaters. "Instead of watching a single play for several hours, we can enjoy performances here throughout the day, stay for a night, and continue our experience the next day."

The refreshing experience has also sparked reflection on the bond with traditional culture. "I used to think the novel was too distant for young people, but now I've come to see how it resonates with contemporary life," said a tourist surnamed Wang.

"Tourist demands for cultural participation, experiential depth, artistic expression, and digital interpretation will continue to rise," said Song Rui, director of the Tourism Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. "Immersive, emotion-driven, and interactive offerings are poised to become the core competitive advantage in destination appeal."

LIVING CLASSROOM

Students are a major group amid the summer travel rush. The ongoing summer vacation has provided them with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience of the traditional Chinese culture that they learn at school.

Li Jinhan, 15, tried her hand at restoring a replica mural panel at an intangible cultural heritage experience base in Dunhuang, a vital ancient Silk Road hub in northwest China's Gansu Province. From injecting consolidants to filling cracks, the girl realized how challenging yet significant it is to keep the historical treasure alive.

"Reading about it is one thing, but doing it is another," said Li. "The restoration allows me to slow down and appreciate the timeless beauty of Dunhuang murals."

Li's experience was part of a study tour which emerged from growing demand among students and parents for a deeper understanding of the country's cultural heritage.

"The study tours can sow the seeds of culture in young minds," said Du Yongwei, the base's founder. "With new scenarios and fresh expressions, we build a bridge for that passion to grow."

Similar on-site classes are thriving nationwide. In Jingdezhen, a city in east China's Jiangxi Province, whose handicraft porcelain industry sites were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List on Saturday, students learn to shape clay into exquisite porcelain. In Anyang, central China's Henan Province, young tourists come face-to-face with the oracle bone inscriptions, the oldest fully developed characters in China, and feel the historical weight of the words they use every day.

Meanwhile, international tourists are getting on board. As the trend of "China Travel" and "Becoming Chinese" continues to gain momentum on social media, more overseas visitors take dedicated trips to China to participate in culturally themed study tours, amid the country's expanding visa-free entry policies.

Earlier this month, a 30-member Italian group finished a study tour in Hainan, China's southernmost island province. During the two-week program, teenagers engaged in courses and activities involving language learning, paper cutting, local handicraft making, among others.

"For many of the Italian students here, this is their very first trip to China, and their very first time getting up close with Chinese culture," said Giulia Massai, a teacher of the group, adding that such activities enable them to both acquire knowledge and learn to understand, respect, and appreciate different cultures.

Data from China's National Immigration Administration showed that in the first half of 2026, visa-free entries by foreign nationals surged 30.6 percent year on year to surpass 17.8 million. In 2025, China received more than 150 million inbound tourist visits, up over 17 percent year on year.

With more firsthand experience of the country and a better understanding of its culture, views of China have turned more positive. According to a Pew Research Center study published this month, a median of 46 percent of respondents across the 20 countries surveyed annually since 2023 hold a favorable view of China, up from 32 percent in 2023. The figure now surpasses the median favorability rating for the United States.

CREATIVE EXPRESSION

The boom of traditional Chinese culture has extended beyond the tourism sector, with other forms of cultural consumption shining this summer.

"All Wishes Come True," an animated fantasy comedy, has earned widespread word-of-mouth acclaim since its release on July 18. As of Sunday, the film has raked in 765 million yuan (about 112.6 million U.S. dollars), and is expected to hit the overseas market soon.

Based on the Chinese legend of the eight Taoist immortals, the film focuses on their lives as ordinary, flawed individuals before they ascend to divinity, a humanizing approach that narrows the gap between ancient myth and everyday life.

"A great script and a fresh adaptation can breathe new life into age-old stories and help carry forward traditional literary works," said Mou Zhengyang, director and screenwriter of the film.

Beyond the cinema, more travelers are now planning to incorporate locations linked to the legend into their itineraries, including Penglai, a city in east China's Shandong Province steeped in the lore of the eight immortals.

In response, major scenic spots in Penglai have recently rolled out preferential offers for visitors presenting their movie tickets, aiming to ride the wave of the film's popularity and boost local tourism.

This phenomenon is not an isolated case. In recent years, a growing number of cultural products rooted in traditional Chinese culture, ranging from the globally acclaimed Chinese video game "Black Myth: Wukong" to animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2," have gained traction for their efforts to weave iconic cultural elements into modern narratives and sparked real-life travel trends toward related locations.

"The essence of Chinese culture has expanded beyond the boundaries of traditional heritage, embracing elements of technology, fashion, and trendy collectibles," said Liu Na, associate professor at the School of Journalism, Communication and Publishing at Sichuan University.

"This continuous evolution is pulling in visitors from home and abroad to experience for themselves," Liu said. 

(Reporting by Huang Yuzhang, Meng Jia, Wang Xiansi, Li Qianwei, Wen Jing, Zhang Wenjing and Dong Xiaokun; video reporters: Liu Qinbing, Xiong Xuanang, Liang Aiping and Li Aibin; video editors: Zheng Xin, Roger Lott, Zheng Qingbin and Wang Han) ■