GUIGANG, China, Aug. 18, 2025 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--
Recently, the 15th Lotus Culture Series of Guigang kicked off in Guigang, Guangxi. From July to October, the city will roll out a host of activities, including theatrical performances, poetry contests, and the selection of "Top Lotus-Viewing Spots," to keep fueling its tourism growth.
The Publicity Department of Guigang City noted that endowed with exceptional ecological strengths, Guigang -- a national forest tourism demonstration city and a national pilot for cultural and tourism consumption -- is building an eco-tourism destination serving the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and ASEAN, with its "Three Mountains, One Gorge, One Culture" as the core. It now boasts 52 national A-level tourist attractions, 37 rural tourist areas rated four-star or above, and 17 themed tourism camps, while its brand "Camping Paradise, Carefree Guigang" is gaining increasing acclaim. In the first half of this year, Guigang received 32.0634 million visitor arrivals, generating 30.121 billion yuan in tourism revenue, up 12.88% and 13.87% year on year respectively.
Guigang knows well that "visitor flow translates into staying power," and has been leveraging performances and events to boost urban development. This year saw the Guangxi division of "Village Basketball Association" settle in Guiping, along with the hosting of the 15th National Games Basketball Qualifiers, "Douyin Football Carnival," and "Gangren Gangye Concert" -- all helping burnish its reputation as a "City of Sports, Capital of Leisure."
The "Douyin Football Carnival" drew 1.83 billion exposures, pushing Guigang into the top 3 of Douyin's city search rankings. Driven by the event, during the "March 3rd" festival, the city's visitor arrivals and tourism revenue rose 18% and 18.9% year on year respectively. During the National Games Basketball Qualifiers, related news attracted some 36.74 million views, with the number of guests staying in quota-controlled hotels in Gangbei District up 29.17% year on year and surrounding consumption surging. The "one-day event attendance, multi-day stay" effect has become distinct, and the brand influence of "exploring Guigang through performances and events" continues to grow.
The Publicity Department of Guigang City introduced that to sustain this momentum, Guigang is stepping up its three-year intensive campaign for the cultural and tourism industry. In the first half of the year, 22 new projects in health and cultural tourism were signed, involving a total investment of 2.401 billion yuan; 42 key cultural and tourism projects were advanced at an accelerated pace, with 20 newly started and 13 completed. Meanwhile, it is actively exploring the integrated development of "culture-tourism + AI." In early July, the AI intelligent interpretation service at Pingnan County Museum was launched, marking a solid step forward in Guigang's "culture-tourism + AI" endeavor.
In the height of summer, the 15th Lotus Culture Series of Guigang was grandly unveiled. Once again, this millennium-old "Lotus City" extends a warm invitation: "Fragrant for two thousand years, I've been waiting just for you!" From ecological sightseeing to dynamic events, from a camping paradise to smart experiences, Guigang is crafting a new cultural and tourism landscape where tradition meets modernity, emerging as an ever-thriving new hub.
