The 21st Xu Xiake International Tourism Festival Opens

On the occasion of the upcoming "5·19" China Tourism Day, Jiangyin launched the 21st Xu Xiake International Tourism Festival on May 16, implementing the important directive that "tourism is an emerging strategic pillar industry and a livelihood and happiness industry with distinctive contemporary characteristics," extending a warm invitation to guests from all directions to come to Jiangyin for a rendezvous with nature and to embrace the spirit and cultural heritage, propelling Jiangyin to write a new chapter in the high-quality development of cultural and tourism integration in the new era. Party Secretary Fang Li delivered a speech. Guests including Chen Hangjia, General Consultant of New Oriental Education & Technology Group, Wu Bihu, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Center for Recreation and Tourism Research of Peking University's College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Wang Qi, Chairman of ICON Icon China (Shanghai), along with Mayor Wang Qi and city leaders Ji Jun, Shao Wensong, attended the event.

Fang Li stated that Jiangyin is a city with a profound affinity for tourism. Over 400 years ago, the great traveler Xu Xiake set out from Jiangyin, traversing the magnificent landscapes of his motherland on foot, leaving behind the timeless and monumental classic, "The Travelogue of Xu Xiake." This spirit of exploration has been integrated into the very bloodline of generations of Jiangyin people, becoming a powerful driving force for the city's continuous growth and leadership. Jiangyin will persistently expand and enrich its cultural and tourism resources. Through high-standard project solicitation, diversified route promotion, and precise scene creation, it will transform high-quality local cultural and tourism resources, including eight key national cultural relic protection sites such as the Xu Xiake Former Residence and the Ming-Qing Ancient Fort, along with the "One River, One Creek" Urban Catwalk, the South Gate Zhongyi Street, and the North Gate Guoyue Island, into tourist traffic and increased consumption. It will build more resounding cultural and tourism brands through comprehensive domestic and international media promotion, interactive communication, and targeted marketing, making the "Hometown of Xu Xiake," the "Birthplace of the Travel Sage," and its profound heritage of military, port, imperial examination, traditional Chinese medicine, and folk music culture shine even brighter. It will foster more vibrant cultural and tourism cooperation by leveraging the influence of major media outlets such as CCTV Documentary Channel and National Geographic Magazine, meticulously constructing the Xu Xiake International Cultural Tourism Center, and diligently operating the Xu Xiake Cultural Tourism College, jointly advancing the cultural and tourism cause. He sincerely invited tourists from home and abroad to visit Jiangyin, get to know Jiangyin, and enjoy Jiangyin. He expressed his hope that all leaders and guests would continue to care for and support Jiangyin's cultural and tourism endeavors, offering connections and valuable suggestions to help Jiangyin improve its work in all aspects.

At the opening ceremony, Chen Hangjia, Wu Bihu, and Wang Qi were appointed as consultants for the integrated development of culture and tourism in Jiangyin. Chen Hangjia delivered a thematic sharing session, demonstrating his sincerity and determination to support the development of cultural tourism in Jiangyin. This year's Tourism Festival specially launched the "Illuminating Xu Xiake's Route" event, which involves illuminating a map of Xu Xiake's travel route and retracing his steps. This event was officially inaugurated on the same day, and a flag was presented for the "Retracing Xu Xiake's Route" activity. Starting from Jiangyin, the event will connect key cities along Xu Xiake's travel route, collaborating with Tongcheng Travel to create new online-offline interactive check-in experiences.

At the event site, the "Home of the Travel Sage, Learning on the Journey" Xu Xiake Cultural Tourism College study tour product was unveiled. Four study tour routes were launched, connecting landscapes with culture, integrating classroom learning with travel, and serving as a vivid contemporary embodiment of the Xu Xiake spirit. New cultural tourism scenarios, including the Xu Xiake International Cultural Tourism Center project, the Xinqiao E-commerce Town project, and the Agricultural-Cultural Tourism Treasure Route, were promoted. The filming crew of CCTV Documentary "The Counterattack of Life" – "The Xu Xiake Chapter" commenced production in Jiangyin and captured footage of this year's Xu Xiake International Tourism Festival activities. The first tour group from the Yangtze River Delta region and the "International Youth City Discovery Program · Jiangyin Station" shared their experiences, and representatives of players from the "Su Chao" Wuxi team and international youth representatives exchanged jerseys. Wuxi's summer tourism products were also released at the scene, accompanied by performances of the song and dance "The Boundless Traveler – I Really Want to Learn from Xu Xiake" and the comment song "Jiangyin is a Wonderful Place."

In recent years, Jiangyin has deeply cultivated the integrated development of culture and tourism, continuously polishing the distinctive Xu Xiake cultural tourism IP. It has successively held signature festival events such as the Xu Xiake International Tourism Festival and the "Xu Xiake's Hometown, Savoring the Yangtze River" Jiangyin Half Marathon, resulting in a significant tourist attraction effect and continuously enhancing the city's cultural tourism visibility and influence. Leveraging the ecological resources of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal, Jiangyin has deeply promoted the integrated development of culture, commerce, sports, tourism, and agriculture. By integrating resources such as the Binjiang Fortress, ancient towns and villages, and red landmarks, it has created high-quality cultural tourism routes across the entire region, continuously optimizing the spatial layout of its cultural tourism offerings.

Source：www.jiangyin.gov.cn
The English version is for reference only. If there are differences between the English version and the Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.
http://www.jiangyin.gov.cn/doc/2026/05/18/1395047.shtml