Ningde World Geopark Cultural Tourism Festival Showcases Mountain and Sea Wonders

Fuzhou, Fujian, August 26, 2024 – The 13th Ningde World Geopark Cultural Tourism Festival will be held in Zhouning County, Ningde City, Fujian Province from August 23 to 26. The festival aims to build momentum, attract visitors, and promote tourism, ultimately fostering the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism economy.

Lei Wen, Deputy Director of the Ningde Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, stated that after 12 years of development, the Ningde World Geopark Cultural Tourism Festival has gained significant brand recognition and influence. It has become a leading platform for showcasing Ningde’s cultural and tourism image, a powerful driver for promoting cultural and tourism consumption, and a key platform for expanding international engagement.

This year’s cultural tourism festival will feature four main sections: the immersive “Night Tour of Liyu Creek” experience and opening ceremony, a cultural and tourism investment promotion conference, the “Natural Air Conditioning City · Cool Zhouning” lifestyle experience, and the volcano geopark exchange meeting. The festival will offer a wide range of activities, including live tourism performances, street parades, investment promotion, cultural performances, academic exchanges, and specialty product exhibitions, providing tourists with an exceptional cultural and tourism experience. These activities aim to create new opportunities for leisure, entertainment, shopping, and cooperation.

The event highlights four key aspects. Firstly, it brings together experts from renowned organizations such as the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council, the National Geopark Network Office, the International Tourism Studies Association, China Tourism Association, China Photographers Association, China Artists Association, China Chamber of Tourism, Australia Fujian Entrepreneurs Association Inc., New Zealand Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, China Tourism Group, Ctrip Group, and ByteDance Group. Additionally, prominent cultural tourism bloggers and representatives from major source market travel agencies will participate, fostering collaboration and leveraging collective expertise and resources. Secondly, it will introduce new products, with over 130 special themed activities planned to showcase the diverse attractions of Ningde from the Cultural Tourism Festival to the National Day Golden Week. Thirdly, the festival will highlight achievements through a signing ceremony involving 16 key projects with a total investment of 1.288 billion yuan. These projects encompass areas such as scenic area operations, cultural tourism complexes, study tours, health tourism, and water sports. Fourthly, the festival will facilitate precise matchmaking, enabling in-depth exchanges and interactions with leading enterprises, major investors, and key travel agencies. This will contribute to talent recruitment, investment attraction, and market expansion.

Zhouning County, the host of this year’s cultural tourism festival, is known as the “City in the Clouds.” Situated at an average altitude of 800 meters, the county boasts a forest coverage rate of 72.96% and consistently excellent air quality, meeting the national first-class standard. The average daily temperature in midsummer is only 24°C. Zhouning has earned recognition as a national ecological civilization construction demonstration area, a Chinese natural oxygen bar, and a national summer tourism destination.

Zhouning is home to the Jiulong Waterfall · Liyu Stream, a national-level scenic spot and a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, representing the core area of Ningde World Geopark. The county also boasts four national AAA-level tourist attractions: Chenqiao, Sujiashan, Yunmen, and Shimenshan · Louping. Additionally, there are 56 rural tourist spots, including the provincial-level forest park Xianfengshan, “East China’s Highest Mountain Lake” Qinshan Lake, “Fujian’s Premier Scenic Spot” Dishuiyan, the “Thousand-Year-Old Temple” Lingfeng Temple, and the “Sacred Place for Wish-Making” Fangguang Temple.

Lin Yiji, Deputy County Governor of Zhouning, stated that this cultural tourism festival marks a new starting point for accelerating the development of a nationally renowned summer health tourism destination and becoming a leader in mountainous county development.

Located in northeastern Fujian, Ningde City is renowned for its Ningde World Geopark, the largest She ethnic group settlement in China, the birthplace of the world’s wooden arch bridges, the origin of white tea, and the capital of Chinese black tea. It serves as a coastal vacation and ecological tourism destination in southeastern China.

Ningde’s mountains and rivers are celebrated for their scenic beauty. The city currently features one world geopark, two 5A-level scenic spots, four 4A-level scenic spots, and 38 3A-level scenic spots. These include the “Baishuiyang” shallow water plaza for wading and play, the “Hundred Mile Gallery” of Huotong Creek with its ancient town charm amidst verdant mountains and pristine waters, the magnificent “Jiulongji” waterfall, and the lush “Yuanyang Grassland.”

Ningde’s cultural heritage is rich and distinctive. The city boasts four world-class intangible cultural heritage projects, 23 national-level intangible cultural heritage projects, 84 provincial-level projects, and 224 municipal-level projects. Notable examples include the traditional construction techniques of Chinese wooden arch bridges, showcasing the elegance of the Northern Song Dynasty, the water-tight compartment construction techniques of Fuzhou ships, demonstrating the maritime wisdom of the ancients, and the artistic charm of Zherong paper-cutting.

Ningde’s cuisine is renowned for its deliciousness and diversity. The city is known as the “Hometown of Large Yellow Croaker,” “Capital of Edible Fungi,” “Hometown of Chinese Laver,” “Hometown of Chinese Kelp,” and “Southern China’s Grape Hometown.” The abundance of delectable dishes makes every trip to Ningde a culinary adventure, offering the best of mountains and seas, with the fragrance of fruits and vegetables.

Lei Wen emphasized their commitment to meticulous preparation and organization to ensure a distinctive and impactful event. They warmly welcome people from all walks of life to visit Ningde for tourism and investment, to experience a better life, and to collaborate for a future of shared development. (By Lin Rongsheng)