On September 8, the “Shanxi Meets the World” Tourism and Leisure City High-Quality Development Matchmaking Event was held at the Taihang Hall of Fengcheng Health and Wellness Center in Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. Pictured: The host delivering the opening remarks. Photo by Hu Xiao
Huanghe News Network, Jincheng (Reporter Shang Dongxia) – As early autumn greets distinguished guests in Shanxi, international dialogue ushers in a new chapter. On September 8, the “Shanxi Meets the World” Tourism and Leisure City High-Quality Development Matchmaking Event was successfully held at the Fengcheng Health and Wellness Demonstration Zone in Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. Over 200 participants gathered, including officials from foreign embassies in China, representatives from international tourism organizations and world tourism cities, as well as domestic and international industry scholars, experts, enterprises, institutions, and travel agencies, to discuss new developments in the global tourism and leisure industry.
Crossing Mountains and Seas for Global Dialogue, Building Consensus on International Cooperation
Co-hosted by the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanxi Provincial People's Government, and the Jincheng Municipal People's Government, the event featured opening remarks by Zhao Junlong, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. He highlighted Shanxi's cultural and tourism resources, noting the province's ongoing efforts to enhance tourism infrastructure and service systems. Shanxi has pioneered a comprehensive tourism highway network nationwide, enabling “fast access, slow exploration, and deep immersion.” accelerating the deep integration of “digital intelligence + cultural tourism” to reshape the cultural tourism ecosystem through digital technologies; and actively promoting inbound tourism by facilitating entry transportation, payment systems, and tax refunds for departing visitors. Concurrently, Shanxi is vigorously developing leisure and resort tourism, designing and developing offerings for all regions, seasons, and age groups to enhance the tourism supply system; Implementing a provincial-level tourism resort “rejuvenation” initiative to cultivate and elevate a batch of high-quality provincial tourism resorts; strengthening leading enterprises, extending industrial chains, and building clusters in cultural tourism and wellness zones; expanding diversified cultural tourism and wellness scenarios such as summer retreats and hot spring wellness; accelerating the creation of culturally distinctive leisure streets and nighttime cultural tourism consumption hubs. Shanxi is eager to strengthen cooperation with domestic and international cultural tourism sectors to achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.
In his address, Li Yan, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanxi Provincial People's Government, stated that tourism, as a form of cultural exchange and interaction, bears the important responsibility of people-to-people diplomacy between nations. Shanxi, with its unique charm, is attracting an increasing number of international visitors, continuously serving as a bridge and bond to enhance mutual understanding among peoples of different countries. Currently, the high-quality development of tourism and leisure cities has become a key issue of our times. Amid the major trend of cultural and tourism integration, Shanxi is embracing the world with an open mindset.
Zhang Jun, Member of the Party Leadership Group of the Jincheng Municipal People's Government, extended a warm welcome to the distinguished guests from afar. He noted that in recent years, Jincheng has closely aligned with the provincial Party committee and government's strategic plan to build an internationally renowned cultural tourism destination. The city has adhered to the principle of shaping tourism through culture and highlighting culture through tourism, vigorously promoting the integrated development of cultural tourism and wellness, and accelerating the construction of a livable and tourist-friendly city where “life thrives amidst mountains and rivers.” The city now welcomes over 40 million visitors annually, generating comprehensive tourism revenue of 36.3 billion yuan. The cultural tourism and wellness industry has become a vital pillar of Jincheng's high-quality development. Through this event, Jincheng looks forward to establishing closer ties with all parties, engaging in practical cooperation on resource integration, market sharing, and brand co-creation. Together, we will explore new paths for leisure and vacation experiences, develop innovative scenarios for cultural tourism integration, and cultivate fresh momentum for consumption, thereby propelling the high-quality development of Jincheng's cultural tourism sector.
In his address, Ambassador Lei Ming of the Republic of Panama to China noted that China possesses a vast tourist market and extensive experience in managing large visitor flows, while Panama offers an authentic, diverse destination with prime geographical positioning as a gateway to Latin America. He expressed firm belief that strengthening tourism ties between the two nations will not only benefit their economic development but also build a bridge of cultural understanding that will endure for generations.
High-Quality, Deep Integration, Sustainable Development: Creating a Model for Leisure and Resort Tourism
Currently, the global cultural and tourism industry is undergoing a critical transformation in consumption restructuring—shifting from “scenery viewing” to “lifestyle enjoyment,” and from “resource dependency” to “innovation breakthrough.” Leisure and resort tourism is emerging as the core driving force for high-quality industry development.
During the subsequent “Exploring Millennial Shanxi, Connecting Global Journeys” promotion session for Shanxi's key gateway cities, cultural tourism ambassadors from Jincheng, Taiyuan, Datong, and Yuncheng took the stage in succession. Each city highlighted its unique cultural tourism characteristics and development positioning, focusing on core resources, distinctive industries, and potential cooperation directions. Through vibrant cultural and tourism showcases, the four cities presented Shanxi's multifaceted appeal—from its natural landscapes and historical heritage to its blend of traditional roots and modern innovation. This initiative not only weaves together the cultural and tourism narrative of “Millennium Shanxi” but also establishes a tangible platform for global guests to understand Shanxi and explore cooperation opportunities, further facilitating the deep integration of Shanxi's cultural and tourism resources with international markets.
Government-Enterprise Collaboration + Innovative Integration: Opening a New Chapter for Inbound Tourism
At the event, the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with Ctrip Group, officially released a tailored inbound tourism guide for international visitors. Tang Yun, Vice President of TripAdvisor China, highlighted that an accurate and comprehensive guide is essential for international travelers to “understand and experience Shanxi,” serving as a vital bridge between concept and experience. This guide covers six dimensions—history and culture, climate, transportation, accommodation, cuisine, and attractions—to build a multidimensional understanding of Shanxi for international visitors, making their journey across the province clearer and more reassuring.
Notably, Shanxi's cultural and tourism sector earned the 2025 Ctrip Tourism Innovation Contribution Award for its initiatives centered on the phenomenon-level cultural-tourism integration success of Black Myth: Wukong, which ignited interest in Shanxi's ancient architecture tourism. At the event, the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and Ctrip Group jointly launched the “Super Plan” for Shanxi tourism. This initiative supports the innovative development of Shanxi's cultural and tourism sector and establishes a special development fund, pioneering a new journey in cultural and tourism development through a “government-enterprise cooperation + innovation integration” model.
Jincheng, designated as a “World Wellness Demonstration City,” is also a key hub for Shanxi's cultural and tourism resources. The Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism encourages more visitors to explore Shanxi and delve into Jincheng through research and inspections to uncover collaborative opportunities, while gaining a deeper understanding of the province and forging partnerships. Shanxi stands ready to strengthen cooperation with domestic and international cultural and tourism sectors to achieve mutual benefit and shared success.