Qingming Festival: Immersive cultural packages drive tourism evolution

As this year's Qingming Festival approaches, China's tourism market is heating up with a new wave of consumption trends. According to the latest data from LY.com, one of China's top online travel websites, immersive cultural tourism packages, and healing and relaxation-themed travel have emerged as the core interests among domestic tourists during this year's holiday season.

According to a recent Jinan Daily report, bookings for immersive cultural tourism packages have nearly doubled year-on-year, with role-playing experiences topping the list. For instance, in east China's Shandong Province, script-based war-film tours allow visitors to step into their favorite roles in historical narratives through interactive scenarios. These projects are helping extend tourists' stays, thus further drivingdriving further upgrades in the cultural tourism industry.

Also in east China's Zhejiang Province, Hengdian World Studios have fused traditional cultural experiences with immersive tourism by recreating scenes from the legendary over five-meter-long scroll "Along the River during the Qingming Festival" in real-life settings. For the third consecutive year, the studios have revived the bustling atmosphere of Bianjing, the Northern Song Dynasty capital (960-1127), along the Bian River, deploying several hundred actors and actresses.

As visitors enter key locations in the scroll, they are surrounded by scenes of shouting street vendors and clattering horseshoes, helping them absorb the charm of the ancient capital. The project will run from April 4, the beginning of the Qingming Festival, to May 5.

Another trend in the tourism market during the Qingming Festival is the replacement of intensive sightseeing packages with slow-paced, healing and relaxing tours. The Jinan Daily reports that bookings for hot springs and spa hotels rose 23 percent, while reservations for local homestays increased nearly 30 percent compared to over the same period of last year, as coastal and lake cities cater to city dwellers' quest for relaxation and an escape from the busy daily routines.

According to a report by a local tourism market news outlet in Shanxi, many homestays in the northern Chinese province of Shanxi are now innovating by offering script-based games and photoshoots to increase overnight spending. Data published in the report shows that homestays providing these value-added interactive experiences have a negative review rate of only 2.3 percent.

As China's tourism sector continues to evolve, these trends are gradually reshaping how travelers connect with destinations and cultural heritage.

Last but not least, please remember Qingming, or the Tomb-Sweeping Day, is more than just a date – it's China's annual conversation between life and death, memory and the passage of time. CGTN host Julian Waghann explores the spirit of Qingming, a day to honor what has shaped us, to whisper memories to the earth, and to remember that life's brightest light comes from staying grounded in the past.