On 22 July 2023, the Department of Resource Development of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, together with the Department of Cultural Relics and Historical Sites of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and Mianyang Municipal People’s Government, launched the Chinese culture-themed tourism promotion event “Reading Li Bai, Traveling China” in Jiangyou Municipality, Sichuan Province. The campaign aims to promote fine traditional Chinese culture through tourism, create innovative national tourism campaigns based on cultural resources such as historical figures, and uphold the principle of shaping tourism with culture and reflecting culture through tourism.
Committed to the thorough implementation of the major deployment of the 20th National Congress of the CPC regarding the promotion of deeply integrated development of culture and tourism, as well as the spirit of the important speech by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the Symposium on Cultural Heritage and Development, the Department of Resource Development of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism organized the Chinese culture-themed tourism promotion campaign “Read ten thousand books - Travel ten thousand miles” based on fine traditional Chinese cultural resources and launched a series of culture-themed tourist routes, in which the tourist promotion campaign “Reading Li Bai, Traveling China” occupies an important role. During the early development stage of the campaign, the Department of Resource Development of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the Department of Cultural Relics and Historical Sites of the National Cultural Heritage Administration joined hands with academic research institutions and regional culture and tourism departments to systemically scrutinize the chronology Li Bai’s works and inspect relevant cultural relics and tourist sites before publishing three culture themed tourist routes based on the places Li Bai lived in and visited during his lifetime. The three routes each trace back different periods of the poet’s life: from his youth, spent touring along the Yangtze River basin, to the prime years of his adulthood and political career when he traveled around the country serving in regional governments, to his later exile and travels in the northern regions of the country. These routes are designed to help travelers systematically explore the life of the great poet and appreciate the sentiments and feelings behind the spectacular scenery depicted in his poems. As a result, tourists can immerse themselves in the unique charm of fine traditional Chinese culture, broaden their horizons, and cultivate their cultural awareness during their travels.
During the event, Professor Kang Zhen, a renowned scholar, delivered an intriguing video lecture on the essence of Chinese culture. Mr. Chen Zhilin, a famous performance artist of Sichuan Opera, performed The Moon Song of Mount Emei, a poem by Li Bai; the renowned performance artist Mr. Hu Yuemin performed a recitation of Li Bai’s work alongside young performers from Jiangyou Municipality. Additionally, Mr. Hu Yang, a promising young dancer, and Mr. Zheng Yunlong, an up-and-coming young actor, delivered brilliant performances from the dance drama Li Bai and the musical Qiang Jin Jiu respectively. Representatives from provinces with key regions related to Li Bai, including but not limited to Sichuan Province, Chongqing Province, Hunan Province, Hubei Province, Jiangxi Province, Jiangsu Province, Anhui Province, Zhejiang Province, Shaanxi Province, Shanxi Province, Henan Province, and Shandong Province, presented various forms of Li Bai-themed tourism promotion campaigns, showcasing the cultural and tourist charm of “Reading Li Bai, Traveling China” in diverse ways. The event saw the attendance of more than 300 representatives from relevant departments at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Department of Cultural Relics and Historical Sites of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, provinces with key regions related to Li Bai, as well as industry associations, businesses in the culture and tourism sector, and the media industry. Jiangyou Municipality in Sichuan Province proposed the cross-regional tourism cooperation and development initiative surrounding key regions related to Li Bai.