2023 Hunan (Summer) Rural Cultural Tourism Festival to Open on June 3

Aizhai Bridge. (Photo/Zhang Shujie)

Dehang Miao Village

A press conference of the 2023 Hunan (Summer) Rural Cultural Tourism Festival and Hunan Summer Village Gala Demonstration Showcase was held in Changsha on May 26. It announced that the 2023 Hunan (Summer) Rural Cultural Tourism Festival will take place in Jishou City, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture between June 3 and 5.

The festival is hosted by the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the People's Government of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, and undertaken by the Culture, Tourism, and Radio Bureau of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, the CPC Jishou City Committee, and the People's Government of Jishou City.

The festival will feature a series of "1+5+N" activities, including one opening ceremony, five main events, and several supporting activities. It aims to comprehensively showcase the cultural and tourism resources of Western Hunan and the achievements of cultural tourism empowering rural revitalization, promote the development of high-quality rural tourism routes, and advance rural revitalization across the board.

The opening ceremony of the festival will be held in Jishou on June 3. Following the opening ceremony, there will be a demonstration showcase event called the Hunan Summer Village Gala with a focus on tea culture. This event aims to vividly present the fruitful achievements of rural revitalization in the ethnic areas of Western Hunan and the happy life of villagers.

The five main activities include:

--a seminar on cultural tourism empowering rural revitalization. Renowned experts, scholars, and industry elites from across the country will come to discuss the development of rural tourism and work towards a better future for rural tourism;

--an exhibition of achievements of Hunan's rural cultural tourism festivals: to showcase the themes, content, features, and achievements of Hunan's 25 rural cultural tourism festivals;

--intangible cultural heritage performances of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture: to present the inheritance, protection, and utilization of intangible cultural heritage in the prefecture from multiple perspectives;

--an immersive realistic light and shadow performance "Dehang Fantasy": to use the Miao language, Miao songs, and Miao tune as a holistic expression to create a fantasy world in the Dehang Miao Village; and,

--"discover Jishou's unique village outlook" rural tourism expedition tours: to invite key investors, heads of cultural and tourism enterprises, and Chinese new media journalists to visit Aizhai Bridge and Aizhai Canyon Xingkong Camping Site, and experience quality rural tourism routes in Jishou.