Chengdu to launch comedy festival in 2027 to boost cultural tourism

Chengdu, located in southwest China's Sichuan Province, plans to launch a comedy festival next year, using innovative cultural experiences to integrate local tourism with the film and entertainment industries.

The initiative was inspired from the successful operation of a previous project, which uses comedy to develop a "laughter economy," with new consumption opportunities boosting sales of Sichuan's local cuisine.

Zhao Bin, a senior manager of Chengdu Tianfu Kuanzhai Culture Communication Co., Ltd, shared the plans at a Sichuan film industry promotional event at the Conference on Creation of High-Quality Product in Radio and Television of China, held in Beijing from November 4 to 5.

The festival, as with previous cultural and entertainment show projects, aims to connect filming locations with local specialty products and commercial opportunities, linking filming, tourism experiences and product sales.

Zhao Bin further explained that the approach integrates local scenery, cultural heritage and regional specialties from the early stages of filming a show, creating opportunities for film crews, tourists, local brands and intellectual property development.

Meanwhile, a new initiative titled "Filming in Sichuan" was also released during the event, turning on-screen scenery into marketable products.

To date, a total of 25 bases, specialized in promoting the products featured in those film and TV shows, have been established, covering both intangible cultural heritage goods and distinctive local agricultural and forestry products. "This initiative also aims to generate lasting tourism and commercial value beyond the screen," added Zhao Bin.