INTEREST IN SCIENCE A BOON FOR TOURISM, INQUISITIVE MINDS

Hefei leverages its technology, innovation advantages to attract visitors

Astronomy, education and tourism appear to be strange bedfellows, but the stars aligned last month in Hefei, Anhui province, to bring all three together for Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Hefei Science and Technology Museum organized a series of tours combining information on the development of astronomy with cultural traditions related to the annual celebration, also known as Moon Festival, which fell on Sept 17.

The museum received 17,427 visitors from Sept 15 to 17, with about 600 of them taking the special tours.

"The exhibits at the museum were so exciting, and there were also science instructors explaining the exhibits to us," said Zhu Yuhan, a local student.

"It was the exhibits about animal knowledge and the experience of observing the surface of the moon through a telescope that impressed me most," said Zhu, who visited the museum on the day of the festival.

The provincial capital is at the forefront of national efforts to combine scientific knowledge, with educational and cultural activities. The idea is to not only improve people's scientific literacy but also boost the development of the tourism industry.

A series of cutting-edge technological achievements were also showcased nationwide from Sept 15 to 25 to mark the 2024 National Science Popularization Day.

Hefei has become renowned in recent years for its rapid development in science and technology innovation and manufacturing, both of which are emerging as highlights of the city's tourism industry.

By the end of August, the city had received 3.5 million visitors for science and technology popularization activities, a 16.2 percent year-on-year increase, according to the latest statistics from the Hefei municipal bureau of culture and tourism.

Of the visitors, 494,000 came from outside the province, it added.

Growing trend

In December 2021, the State Council issued the 14th Five-Year Plan for Tourism Development, which proposed strengthening the utilization of science and technology venues and developing science and technology tourism based on related major projects and achievements.

It also encouraged the development of industrial tourism based on industrial production sites and processes, and industrial heritage, and encouraged the construction of a number of national industrial tourism demonstration bases.

The Chinese educational tourism market is showing an upward trend for the period from 2018 to 2026, according to a recent report by market analyst iiMedia Research. The size of this market is expected to reach 242 billion yuan ($34.5 billion) by 2026, the report said.

Development of China's science popularization and educational tourism market has been rapid in recent years and has great potential, according to an article released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in August 2023.

The article, written by experts from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, also pointed out the sector faces challenges such as insufficient product supply, weak market regulation, low standardization, and a lack of industry talent.

Hefei is tackling these issues and is trying multiple measures to remedy the situation, according to the municipal bureau of culture and tourism.

Experts have suggested increasing product supply, enhancing existing science popularization services, strengthening market regulation and standardization, and improving talent training to promote the development of science popularization and educational tourism.

Leading hub

Hefei is a hub for mega-science facilities. In 2017, it secured approval from central authorities to construct the Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, one of four such centers nationwide.

"The educational tourism themes in Hefei highlight the city's positioning as a national science center, focusing on eight major research and study themes such as AI (artificial intelligence), quantum technology and new energy vehicles," said Wu Yajuan, director of the municipal bureau of culture and tourism.

The proportion of Chinese citizens with scientific literacy was 14.14 percent in 2023, an increase of 7.94 percentage points from 2015 and 1.21 percentage points from 2022, according to the 13th National Survey on the Scientific Literacy of Chinese Citizens.

The survey was jointly conducted by the China Association for Science and Technology and the National Bureau of Statistics.

The proportion of residents in Hefei with scientific literacy reached 18.8 percent in 2023, ranking it 8th nationwide among all cities, the Hefei Association for Science and Technology said.

The city's development of its science popularization tours has contributed greatly to its high scientific literacy rate, according to local authorities.

Hefei currently boasts Science Island, along with one national-level industrial tourism demonstration base, 16 provincial-level educational tourism demonstration bases, and 230 municipal-level science popularization bases.

The local government plans to add 20 more various bases this year.

Crowded venues

During the summer vacation, the Hefei Science and Technology Museum was one of the most popular destinations in the city, especially its new site based in the Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone.

Since its inauguration in August 2023, the site has become a hot spot for locals and visitors alike, and has positioned itself as a primary venue for scientific exploration in Hefei.

On July 28, the number of online reservations for daytime visits to the site increased from an average daily high of 5,000 people to 6,000. On Aug 5, it climbed further to reach 7,000 visitors.

In addition, night sessions on Fridays and Saturdays were introduced from Aug 5 to Sept 1, and accommodated 2,000 visitors each night. However, tickets were still hard to get.

The first nighttime visits to the new exhibition hall fell on Aug 9. Prior to the venue opening its doors in the evening, long queues formed at the entrance, with many visitors saying exploring the museum at night was a novel experience.

"The museum allows children to relax while gaining knowledge, combining education with entertainment, and stimulating children's interest in learning science," said Zhu Daohong, director of the museum.

Anhui Innovation Pavilion, based in Hefei, is China's first venue themed on innovation and is also a national base for science popularization education.

"Relying on its own science and technology resources, the pavilion launched a series of educational courses during the recent summer vacation," said Zhou Lamei, manager of the science popularization section at the pavilion.

Study courses

Hefei authorities have been collaborating with educational tourism bodies and travel agencies to develop over 1,000 courses that cover topics such as AI, quantum computing, green energy, and aerospace.

The educational tour programs have evolved from simple industrial tourism ones to diverse, multi-themed courses.

Hefei is home to several mega-science devices, including the Steady High Magnetic Field Facility and the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, or EAST, which is key to a nuclear fusion reactor, also known as an artificial sun.

The EAST program is crucial to both the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor project and the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project.

The area where the mega-science facilities are based is called Science Island, which has been listed as one of China's top 10 science and technology tourism bases.

Innovative exhibitions at the Anhui Innovation Pavilion, such as "Entering the Realm of Mega-science" and "Quantum Mysteries", offer students firsthand insights into national scientific advancements, said Zhou.

The venue hosted over 300 educational tours by the end of August for this year, attracting nearly 30,000 young participants.

Joining in

Science popularization and educational tourism products currently rely on museums, science centers, natural and cultural heritage sites and renowned universities, said the article by the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research.

These facilities and venues usually stand alone, with limited activity spaces and subject matter, leading to a greater emphasis on sightseeing rather than education.

However, integrating educational, industrial and cultural tourism is creating more opportunities.

"Visiting large enterprises for research and study is a trend this year, which is both a part of industrial tourism and sci-tech tourism," said Zhong Hui, Chairman of Shangyouhui International Travel Agency.

Xiang Xiang, a Chinese businessman based in Australia, said, "You can see that many manufacturing plants in Hefei are actively incorporating intelligent experiences and cultural tourism visits."

Xiang made the remarks during a tour of international travel agencies as part of the 14th Anhui International Culture and Tourism Festival, which kicked off in Hefei on Sept 10.

"Integrating technology with cultural tourism is a very good practice, and it is a feature of Hefei," said Xiang, who visited high-tech firms including AI developer iFlytek, and NEV startup Nio.

Leveraging its experience in the field, the Hefei-based iFlytek officially launched AI research and study courses last year tailored to students of different levels to help them understand various AI technologies and their latest applications.

This year, iFlytek also initiated the "AI Planet Adventure 2024" national tour, inviting students to immerse themselves in the applications of AI in their daily life and inspiring them to actively explore and research the technology.

Gui Yang, a student from neighboring Lu'an city, recently explored technological innovation through one of iFlytek's research and study activities.

"After experiencing the multidimensional applications of AI in the research and study courses, which are integrated into various aspects of life, I have gained many insights," he said. "I believe innovation not only refers to inventing something new, but also signifies continuous development and progress, provided that one understands science and learns to innovate," said Gui.

Zhao Mei, from the China Tourism Association, thinks Hefei has fully tapped into its industrial civilization, technological culture, and tourism resources, and promoted the deep integration of tourism and industrial parks.

"This initiative is a crucial step in enhancing Hefei's visibility and influence, helping to establish high-quality new businesses for technology and industrial tourism in Hefei," said Zhao.

Teens visit factories

NIO's automobile manufacturing base in the Hefei Economic and Technological Development Area was completed in 2017 and officially opened to the public in October the next year. It has seen a continuous increase in visitor numbers, with the average annual visitor count now 100,000 people.

During the summer break, NIO's factories organized 140 summer camps, with 5,932 students participating in study programs.

"In the past, visits to these enterprises were mainly by adult groups, such as entrepreneur study tours, but now there is also a demand from teenagers, so it has become a trend that aligns with the national strategy," said Zhong from the travel agency.

"For enterprises, the significance of launching research and study is more about taking on social responsibility, promoting science and technology externally, and the need for corporate brand promotion," he said.

ChaCha Food Co, a leading nut producer based in Hefei, is also a research and study base for food safety in Anhui.

The company hosts over 300 research and study tours every year, and welcomes about 2,000 visitors. Among them are primary, middle, and high school students.

ChaCha's research and study tours provide students with information about the company's history and give them the opportunity to observe on-site operations.

"They also gain insights into the company's technological capabilities, innovation, and product quality and safety, deepening their recognition and trust in the company's brand," said Yao Yalan, who is in charge of branding for ChaCha.

zhulixin@chinadaily.com.cn