Yancheng bullish on booming cultural tourism attractions

From enchanting ecosystems to thrilling theater, the city in Jiangsu province has it all

Efforts by the city government and local business leaders to attract more tourists to Yancheng in East China's Jiangsu province paid handsome dividends during this year's Spring Festival.

According to official statistics, during the eight-day February holiday, A-level tourist attractions in Yancheng welcomed 7.24 million visits — an impressive 51.91 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Throughout the entire previous year, Yancheng received 48.4 million visits, generating a total tourism revenue of 53.7 billion yuan ($7.5 billion).

At the end of last year, the added value of the cultural industry accounted for 4.38 percent of the city's GDP, ranking first in the province in terms of growth rate. In 2023, two local enterprises were included in the list of the top 30 private cultural enterprises in Jiangsu, while four others were honored as key cultural and technological enterprises in the province.

Natural assets

Yancheng boasts 582 kilometers of coastline, 18,900 square kilometers of sea area and 4,553 sq km of coastal mudflats. Encompassing ocean, wetland and forest ecosystems, the city is endowed with abundant natural attractions. Its Yellow Sea Wetland was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019 and now serves as an international model for wetland conservation. In June 2022, Yancheng was honored as an International Wetland City — one of 25 cities across the world to receive that certification which represents the highest achievement of a city in wetland protection.

Yancheng is home to the world's largest population of endangered Milu deer (aka Pere David's deer) and serves as the largest wintering ground for wild red-crowned cranes. The endangered spoon-billed sandpiper, a rare coastal wetland bird, is another resident. Biodiversity has become a significant attraction for local ecological tourism.

Relying on the two golden name cards of UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Wetland City, Yancheng is developing its ecological cultural industry in depth, and by initiating a world-class coastal ecological corridor construction project, the city is transforming ecological beauty into economic value.

Focusing on Milu deer, red-crowned cranes and spoon-billed sandpipers, the local government is accelerating development of study tours, niche tourism and vacation tourism products. The cartoon character "Salt Spoon", based on the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper, has become a well-known cultural icon in Yancheng. More than 40 series of cultural and creative products based on the character are favored by consumers and serve as a valuable model for commercialization of ecological culture.

Ancient blocks

The character yan in Yancheng means "salt" in English. The city has a salt-making culture dating back 5,000 years, when coastal inhabitants boiled seawater to produce salt. Over the centuries, residents in the area have also created many artistic treasures that survive to this day.

Huaiju, an ancient opera, is said to originate in the Yanfu area of Lixia River in the Jianghuai Plain. The place is also recognized as the birthplace of the graceful southern style of Chinese acrobatics. The legend of Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy Maiden is widely known, narrating the famous love story between a mortal man and a fairy. As well, Yancheng's porcelain engraving craftsmanship and hair embroidery have been listed in the national intangible cultural heritage catalog of China.

In recent years, the city has worked at empowering traditional culture to contribute to the development of cultural tourism. The local government combines tourism with urban renewal by injecting cultural elements, and through the renovation and upgrading of old neighborhoods, old buildings are being transformed into new landmarks.

Yanzhen Shuijie, on the bank of the Chuanchang River, is a core part of the national 4A-rated tourist attraction — the China Haiyan History Culture Scenic Area, highlighting the history and developmental traces of Haiyan area. The district includes characteristic cultural landmarks such as Shuiyun Pavilion, the Salt Merchant Guildhall, Yongxing Temple and Yanzong Ancestral Hall.

As a comprehensive cultural and commercial district, Yanzhen Shuijie has attracted well-known catering brands from Yancheng and set up brands such as its famous snack street and the Yantian music night. It achieves innovative application of traditional culture around temple fairs, Haiyan culture, dragon culture and featured holidays.

The Zhulin Hotel (Yancheng Folk Custom Museum), serving as a condensed version of Yancheng in the 1980s, showcases the local market culture and has become a popular draw for Yancheng residents. Dongtai Xixi Ancient Town has been built into a tourist destination; the ancient Shazhuang Village in Jianhu county has become a good place to admire huaiju opera.

In addition to traditional old streets, the appeal of Yancheng's trendy byways continues to grow through new formats. The KK-PARK, full of fashionable vibes and centering around Chinese and Korean cultural themes, features an open operation model to create an 11,000-sq-m urban commercial space suitable for business, leisure and entertainment. The D.A Art District follows a similar path, with avant-garde and distinctive blocks shaping a youthful new image for the city.

Artistic performances

Yancheng has several distinctive cultural districts, and embedding them with performing arts has proved a popular approach. With conscious planning and promotion from various governmental departments, construction of small theaters has accelerated. Since 2017, the city has been organizing regular classes to attract talented playwrights and directors from across the country, while also incubating many outstanding performing art works and diverse performing art spaces.

Dongtai Xixi Scenic Spot used to be the birthplace of the salt culture in the region, where renowned figures in Chinese history such as Yan Shu, Lyu Yijian and Fan Zhongyan, served as salt officials. Currently, with the three live-action performance works of Xun Xian Yuan, Tian Xian Yuan and Fan Zhongyan, the scenic area has rapidly expanded its market in recent years, attracting many tourists and local residents to attend performances.

The Holland Flower Park in Dafeng district is known for its spectacle of more than 30 million tulips. To increase the cultural facilities in the area, the operator built six theaters — one of which is embedded within the park, breaking the traditional barrier between the stage and the audience. Director Wang Chaoge, famous for realistic landscape performance, has staged the love story Only Love: The Drama Fantasy City in the scenic area.

Younger residents of Yancheng prefer to visit the 1956 Star Theater in the city's downtown area, which transformed the Yancheng Cinema. Although there are only 211 seats, it is equipped with topnotch stage sound, lighting equipment and surround sound. It has also incorporated diverse businesses such as books, cultural and creative products, art exhibitions and a coffee and tea service.

"The small theaters significantly contribute to the overall development of our block," said a person in charge. In the small theaters, we can shop, dine, watch movies and experience cutting-edge live performances.

Currently, Yancheng is focusing on building 56 small theaters, among which 19 are with unique features. Thirteen State-owned art troupes in the city have produced a large number of outstanding stage art works, including acrobatic plays, huaiju opera, children's plays, musicals, traditional Chinese comic dialogues and dance dramas. More than 1,200 performances are put on every year.

liyou@chinadaily.com.cn