Shexian, Tongjiang: How Local Heritage Is Fueling China’s 2025 Tourism Boom!

Published on December 4, 2025

In Shexian County (Anhui Province) of eastern China and Tongjiang City (Heilongjiang Province) of northeast China, the revival of traditional customs, crafts, and cultural heritage is the reason behind a stunning increase in domestic tourism. Places that were previously regarded as off the beaten path are now pulling in thousands of visitors, particularly the youth, who are looking for real and immersive experiences.

For travellers, the appeal lies not simply in sightseeing, but in living a different way for a short time: making fish-shaped lanterns, touching fish-skin shoes, sampling regional delicacies, and joining workshops on paper-cutting or folk crafts.

Cultural immersion: More than sightseeing

Authorities in Shexian have turned intangible cultural heritage, like the iconic fish-shaped lanterns, into interactive visitor experiences. During the 2025 Spring Festival, the county welcomed around 1.12 million tourists, generating RMB 1.09 billion in spending. Over the past three years, more than 10 million visits have poured in, yielding total tourism revenue exceeding RMB 5 billion.

Meanwhile, in Tongjiang, the traditional fishing and hunting heritage of the Hezhe people, once at risk of fading, has been revitalised through handicrafts, storytelling and live performances. The city runs nearly 20 intangible-heritage workshops, hosts over 3,000 annual performances, and sells creative fish-skin clothing and decorative items rooted in local tradition.

Such initiatives represent a shift: tourists today don’t just passively observe, they actively engage, learn, and take a piece of local identity back with them.

Why youth, especially post-1990s and post-2000s are leading the wave

A recent survey by the China Tourism Academy, in collaboration with online travel platform Mafengwo, reveals a growing appetite for cultural travel among younger generations. In the first half of 2025, user posts about intangible cultural heritage and folk attractions on the platform exceeded the total of 2024 by nearly 46 percent.

Under-30s are increasingly inclined to choose destinations offering more than just pretty views. According to cultural-tourism experts, they value experiences that allow them to live a different life, be it through food, crafts, workshops or local rituals, rather than merely watch how other people live.

This trend suggests that cultural tourism is not just a passing fad, but a structural shift in how many Chinese, especially younger travellers, choose to travel.

Tradition meets innovation: New models of tourism

The broader national statistics reflect this shift. According to the ministry in late 2025, domestic tourism in China saw record highs: in the first half of 2025 alone, there were 3.29 billion domestic trips, generating RMB 3.15 trillion in spending. Analysts emphasise that integration of culture + tourism, including heritage tours, live performances, and creative cultural products, is a key driver behind this rebound.

In addition to traditional crafts and performances, new forms of engagement, immersive VR exhibits, heritage-inspired cultural events, are expanding the horizons of what cultural tourism can mean.

The deeper pull: identity, belonging and meaningful travel

For many visitors, the draw goes beyond novelty or entertainment. Engaging with local traditions creates personal connections, for some, a sense of belonging or deeper understanding of China’s diverse cultural landscape. As one young visitor from Beijing put it, after sampling local cuisines and folk experiences in central Shaanxi, she felt a deep connection with the living traditions of the region.

At the same time, communities like the Hezhe, once marginalised and facing economic hardship, are rediscovering pride through ancestral crafts, storytelling and cultural tourism. What used to be daily subsistence activities are now avenues for sustainable livelihoods and cultural preservation.

What this means for travellers and travel writers

For travel professionals and journalists, this is an opportune moment to rethink how China’s story is told. The tourism boom is no longer just about headline-grabbing icons or must-see landmarks: it’s about the intangible, food, craft, heritage, community, memory.

For those writing about China today, places like Shexian’s lantern parades or Tongjiang’s fish-skin workshops offer rich narrative potential: travel pieces that explore identity, heritage, changing livelihoods, and youthful quests for authenticity.

Bottom Line

To put it simply, the rush of tourists to China is mainly due to the factors such as human beings, culture, heritage and the significance associated with them, rather than simply picturesque views and landscapes. The cultural and creative aspects of Shexian’s lively lantern nights and Tongjiang’s fish-skin artistry demonstrate that today’s travel essence is in experiencing, sharing and discovering the joy intertwined with people’s history.