Changshan's National Day Tourist Visits Climb 22.8% to 503,000

SHANGHAI and CHANGSHAN, China, Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from thepaper.cn:

Autumn colors, lantern-lit streets and village celebrations set the scene for Changshan's 2026 National Day holiday. Under the theme "Meet U in Changshan: Immerse Yourself," the county offered immersive park experiences, traditional craft and food markets, public performances and hands-on workshops. Tourist visits to Changshan reached 503,000, a year-on-year increase of 22.8%, ranking 10th in Zhejiang Province and first in Quzhou for growth. Overnight visitor trips totaled 267,000, up 40.1% — the second-fastest growth rate in the province and the fastest in Quzhou.

New Experiences Give Visitors More Reasons to Explore and Stay

Immersive tourism remained a major draw. By combining interactive experiences with the pageantry of seasonal celebrations, attractions gave visitors reasons to linger beyond a quick photo stop. Through a blend of local culture, interactive storytelling and live performances, the Beimen Historic and Cultural District hosted Beimen Abuzz: A Theatrical Stroll Through Changshan, with holiday attendance of 191,500, up 10.69% year on year. Lulikeng Village staged the Oriental Flames torch carnival, where visits exceeded 30,000, a 35% year-on-year increase. Sanqu Stone Forest launched its Stone Forest Adventure: Tribal Carnival, while Xidong Fairy Tale Village ran a fantasy carnival, appealing to families from Changshan and surrounding areas.

The celebrations continued after dark. Night tours, markets and performances encouraged visitors to stay longer and explore more of Changshan's evening attractions. The Beimen district evoked the atmosphere of the Song dynasty with flying aoyu fish lanterns, traditional box lanterns and street acrobatics. The lantern-lit historic streets formed a glowing backdrop to performances rooted in Chinese tradition. Lulikeng's Oriental Flames torch carnival brought bonfire performances to the countryside, filling the village night with firelight and festivities.

The surrounding villages also proved popular with visitors. Communities across Changshan drew on their natural surroundings, farmland and local traditions to offer leisurely countryside escapes. Xucun Village in Jinchuan Subdistrict held Fun in the Countryside: Xucun, a family carnival combining whole roasted lamb with games and challenges. Displays of crops laid out to dry in the autumn sun provided colorful photo opportunities, while family activities offered a taste of rural life. Xinchang Township ran its Countryside Fun: Play in Xinchang event. Visitors could try net fishing, shrimp angling and catching fish by hand, and sample local specialties at a village market.

Local Culture Brings Holiday Markets and Attractions to Life

Traditional crafts, folk customs, opera and live performances brought added energy to Changshan's attractions, shopping areas and historic streets. Together, these offerings gave residents and visitors more to discover — and more reasons to support local businesses.

A seven-day program at the intangible cultural heritage experience center showcased local traditions throughout the National Day holiday. Elsewhere, visitors could browse a pomelo market, enjoy theater performances and attend the "Southern Confucian Rites and Music" heritage gathering. Displays and demonstrations featured ten local specialties and traditional crafts, including egg carving and Changshan Tribute Noodles. A traditional food fair was held alongside the festivities in the Beimen Historic and Cultural District. More than 30 specialty food vendors from Changshan and beyond took part, adding the aromas and bustle of holiday dining to the celebrations.

Visitor incentives helped turn cultural outings into spending at local businesses. Alongside traditional performances and events in its historic streets, Changshan offered promotions designed to encourage visitors to explore nearby shops and restaurants. For the National Day holiday, the county launched a tourism giveaway campaign titled "Meet U in Changshan: Immerse Yourself," featuring a prize wheel. It distributed food vouchers under the Changqilin program, redeemable at nearly 30 local restaurants, to boost spending at participating establishments. In Lulikeng Village, daily events at the Sanqu Art Museum included fire-breathing performances, traditional fire-pot displays and bonfire celebrations. Businesses throughout the village and its attractions offered visitor discounts. The village's more than 30,000 holiday visits generated roughly 400,000 yuan in direct spending.

Performances and Workshops Bring Culture to Communities Across Changshan

Residents across the county enjoyed a varied program of performances and hands-on activities. The cultural center staged five community opera performances, each to a full house. Changshan Grand Theater hosted productions of Yue Opera classics Yu Tang Chun and The Butterfly Lovers, along with the My Motherland and Me concert celebrating China's musical heritage.

Nan Kong reading rooms offered hands-on sessions including introductions to shadow puppetry and creative craft workshops. Towns and townships such as Hejia, Dong'an and Qiuchuan put on village galas, open-air evening gatherings, mooncake-making workshops and talks on revolutionary history. These community events gave residents more ways to take part in the holiday celebrations.

Cultural venues also welcomed more visitors during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays. Visits to the county cultural center rose 12% year on year. Attendance at the county museum increased 40% over the same period, while Changshan Grand Theater posted a 10% gain. Together, the performances, exhibitions and workshops brought the holiday's "Meet U in Changshan: Immerse Yourself" theme to life in communities across the county.

SOURCE thepaper.cn