Explore Beichuan: The Heart of Qiang Culture and Tourism in Sichuan

Published on November 25, 2025

The southwestern province of Sichuan has welcomed thousands of tourists visiting the Qiang ethnic group’s New Year festivities, which took place on the 9th of February this year, located in the Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County. Tourists were exposed to the sequenced performances and traditional forms and practices of the Qiang people. While the Qiang New Year festivities are celebrated in Beichuan, the town has also been greatly influenced by the tourism industry and the interest of the people in the town has also been directed to the local customs and to 108 forms of intangible cultural heritage, which has had a positive effect on the town during the culturally rich week of festivities Jiang’s New Year.

The Beichuan Qiang New Year festival visit Ritual and Reflection is the Festival of the New Year. This new year festival is of great spiritual and ethnic cultural significance to the Qiang people, while to visitors and travellers it offers the opportunity to experience the rich cultural customs surrounding the new year of one of the least culturally exposed ethnic groups of China, which is the Qiang. Beichuan is home to most of the Qiang people, and it has put in a great effort to use this cultural celebration to bring in tourism to Beichuan and to offer a genuine, authentic and cultural experience.

Qiang New Year: A Cultural Custom of Great Significance

The New Year of the Qiang Ethnic Group is celebrated in the form of New Year activities for the entire community with great enthusiasm. A variety of community festive activities are conducted to showcase the ethnic culture of the Qiang People. Celebration of the New Year with traditional dances and community music performances with the preparation of Qiang local dishes. Qiang New Year festival traditions can be experienced and seen by festival attendees and festive visitors.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the celebration is the cultural engagement of the attendees. Attending tourists can immerse themselves in Qiang culture by participating in traditional Qiang activities. Qiang activities include embroidery, folk music, and lessons on ancient customs and traditions that are taught to Qiang youth. Such customs and traditions are vital to the Qiang people’s lifestyle and their connection to the land.

Promotion of 108 Elements of Folklore Towards Intangible Cultural Heritage

The promotion of cultural heritage in Beichuan turned the Qiang New Year Celebrations into an event of great significance for tourists. Beichuan County is well known for 108 kinds of intangible cultural heritage, which include numerous traditional skills, folk art forms, and local customs. His wide-ranging heritage provides visitors the opportunity to partake in the engagement of varied folk expressions such as the traditional Qiang architecture, folk crafts and age-old folk rituals.

The Qiang embroidery is known for intricate design and use of vivid colors. It is a cross-cultural folk expression and has received attention in other countries. Tourists are also invited to local craft workshops and are provided the opportunity to get hands on in embroidery. During New Year Celebrations, tourists may also experience the Qiang folk music concert, which features the Qiang flute and other traditional musical instruments. Soulful and age-old folk melodies are preserved and folk music is also presented to the visitors for their experience.

In addition to the New Year celebrations, Beichuan has created multiple cultural exhibitions and activities within its intangible heritage for the entire year. Tourists can visit Qiang traditional houses and learn the Qiang people’s ancient customs, regional agriculture, and cultural practices. These ongoing cultural attractions are the reason Beichuan is quickly becoming a go-to place for those wanting to delve into the rest of China’s ethnic history and culture.

Sichuan: A Centre for Ethnic and Cultural Tourism

For its beautiful scenery and delicious food, ethnic tourism is one of the most popular tourism activities in Sichuan province. It is home to various ethnic groups, including the Qiang people, Tibetans, and Yi, all of whom have their own unique cultures. Being a cultural center for the Qiang people, Beichuan is very important in showcasing the unity and diversity of the ethnic groups in Sichuan.

With historical offerings such as the Giant Leshan Buddha and Chengdu Wanderings, the province has the cultural charm and historical depth that will appeal to the most discerning and seek to combine travel to multiple historical and cultural sites and activities. For the eco-tourist adventurer, the mountain landscapes of Sichuan and the Qingcheng Mountains and Jiuzhaigou Valley provide spectacular Sichuan opportunities.

Sichuan’s culture and ethnicity, particularly the cuisine and dancing that reflect the area’s spicy, pepper, and culture, also add to the travelers’ and tourist’s experience of travel and culture as they explore local delicacies in Beichuan and other parts of Sichuan and its many cultures and ethnic groups.

Infrastructural Improvements Transfers to the Tourism Industry in Beichuan

In the last few years, the tourism industry in Beichuan has experienced the benefits of considerable improvements in the industry’s infrastructure. The area has excellent highway and rail connectivity with Chengdu, the provincial capital, and makes Beichuan accessible to international and domestic travellers. This connectivity has been instrumental in Beichuan’s increased popularity as a tourism destination.

To accommodate travelers, there has been construction of local establishments, ranging in type from modern hotel chains to guest houses. In their places of accommodation, visitors will be able to experience elements of Qiang culture as many of the facilities will incorporate triab designs. Furthermore, the self-contained tourist cultural centers, research museums, and information centers on the Qiang people’s culture and heritage will allow for organized instruction on the particulars of the Qiang people’s culture to visitors.

Sustainable Growth of Qiang Cultural Tourism

Sustainable cultural tourism will be the starting point for the development of new cultural and natural attractions. The increase in the number of tourists arriving to the area, as the Qiang people gain more opportunities of employment and the use of their culture in development is more extensive, the government and local communities will be able to implement their eco-friendly practices.

The emphasis on community integration, preservation, and cultural tourism means cultural heritage rural areas develop economically (in this case rural Beichuan). Cultural immersion, sustainable practices, and community integration means cultural heritage rural areas develop economically. The unique heritage and natural beauty attract more tourists to the area. This means the culture.

The unique heritage and natural beauty attract more tourists to the area. Beichuan is on the way to becoming one of the most important cultural and ethnic centers for tourism in China. This also means culture.

Conclusion

Qiang New Year celebrations in Beichuan and the promotion of the region’s intangible cultural heritage have helped turn the area into one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sichuan. The combination of crafted culture, traditions, and immersive participation on the part of the tourists have helped garner greater interest from all over the globe. As Beichuan continues to improve on the cultural and tourism, the area will showcase the diversity of the ethnic communities in China, and will be an important stop for tourists that are interested in culture, heritage, and tourism.