China's domestic holiday travel turns to immersive, local experiences

With the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday falling in close proximity this year in China, many in the country are choosing to spend their time off exploring the country. But the trend is shifting from rushing to tick off famous landmarks to taking longer trips, exploring smaller towns and choosing theme-based, hands-on experiences.

One standout example is the Huaguo Mountain, or "Flower and Fruit Mountain," in Lianyungang City of east China's Jiangsu Province. Known as the home of the Monkey King from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, the mountain is expected to draw about 40,000 visitors a day during the holiday, with young people making up nearly 40% of the crowd. The site has added a monkey science park, interactive exhibits and new walking trails. Visitors can pick up a "travel passport" at the gate, collect stamps along the route, and exchange them for gifts. A newly upgraded cable car now carries 2,500 people per hour, up from 500, offering a comfortable ride through the forest. The experience is less about climbing a mountain and more about stepping into a story.

In Xiangshan County of Zhejiang Province, also in the country's east, local authorities have turned the fishing season into a broader tourism campaign. After the summer fishing ban ended in September, the area's seafood market and port have entered peak season. This year, Xiangshan launched a "Fisherman's Pass" for tourists, offering benefits at five major scenic areas as well as discounts at guesthouses, restaurants and shops. The theme "Fishing Life Season" runs from August to October, combining folk performances, seafood tastings and coastal culture. For visitors, it is a chance to taste fresh seafood and experience daily life in a working fishing community.

In Zhejiang's Shilin Village, autumn brings a very different attraction: persimmons. The village, named after its persimmon groves, has more than 18 hectares of trees and produces over 150 tonnes a year. A 600-year-old persimmon tree stands at the entrance. Villagers dry peeled persimmons into cakes and display harvested corn, chili and beans on rooftops and in courtyard, a traditional autumn scene known as "shaiqiu," or drying the harvest. Visitors can taste fresh persimmons, try persimmon coffee, and make persimmon cakes or sachets. 

The common thread is clear: travelers want to participate, not just observe. As one industry expert put it, local culture must move out of display cases and become something visitors can join, feel and remember. For destinations, the challenge is not building bigger landmarks but telling a distinctive local story, and turning it into an experience that cannot be copied elsewhere.

(Cover: People at a morning market in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, October 2, 2026. /CFP)