Cities across China have been offering visitors rich and immersive cultural experiences through intangible cultural heritage exhibitions and hands-on activities during the seven-day National Day holiday, which began on October 1.
Throughout the holiday, large crowds have gathered at the China Arts and Crafts Museum in Beijing, waiting in line to explore its attractions. In addition to its permanent exhibits, the museum introduced a new exhibition themed "Splendid China", showcasing a wide array of traditional embroidery from various regions and ethnic groups across the country, alongside contemporary innovations in the art form.
Meanwhile, Tang Paradise, a large cultural theme park showing the lifestyle of the prosperous Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Xi'an City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, saw daily visitor numbers surging by nearly 25 percent compared to last year. The park responded to the demand by tripling its daily performances of Xi'an drum music, an art form listed as a national ICH in 2006. Previously, the park had hosted just one performance per day.
"It was breathtaking when all the drums played together. The whole scene was incredible," said Wang Liuyi, a tourist.
A heritage street in Lijin County of east China's Shandong Province immersed visitors in the rich culture of the Yellow River, known as China's "Mother River" and the cradle of Chinese civilization. Traditional performances were staged, including drum shows and yangko dances, a rural Chinese folk dance, filling the streets with a festive atmosphere that drew in many curious onlookers.
Alongside the shows, many tourists also had the opportunity to create their own small clay items from the Yellow River mud, adding a personal touch to their cultural experience.
"The clay comes from the Yellow River, from our land. It's amazing how such simple material can be turned into exquisite crafts," said Zhang Yihan, a tourist.
According to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, nearly a thousand cultural heritage-related events were held nationwide during the holiday, blending heritage with tourism to enrich the experiences of travelers across China.
The National Day holiday, which runs from October 1 to 7, marks a peak period for travel and tourism in China.
Heritage tourism engages Chinese tourists with rich cultural experiences during National Day holiday
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
