HEBI, China, June 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Over the 2026 May Day holiday, Xun County hosted 2.089 million domestic tourists and pulled in 648.114 million yuan in tourism revenue—up 4.1% and 6.2% year on year, respectively.
During the Spring Festival, Hebi drew a surge of visitors with events such as the Central Plains (Hebi) Folk Culture Festival, raking in nearly 180 million yuan from intangible cultural heritage (ICH) displays, performances, and related product sales. Total tourism revenue hit 1.192 billion yuan.
These eye-catching numbers reflect Hebi’s push to turn ICH into new cultural tourism experiences and innovative business models, fueling a new engine of festival-driven economic growth.
The 18th Central Plains (Hebi) Folk Culture Festival opened at Liyang City Cultural Tourism Zone (Xun County Ancient City) in Xun county, Hebi city, central China’s Henan Province, on Feb 9, transforming the historic canal town into a lively venue for celebrations marking the upcoming Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival.
Lanterns lit up the night sky as drums resounded through the ancient streets, ushering residents and visitors into a grand event that runs through March 4, coinciding with the Spring Festival celebration period.
Held under the theme “Enjoy millennium Shehuo and a mesmerizing Chinese New Year in Xun County,” the festival features 32 distinctive cultural and tourism activities designed to breathe new life into time-honored traditions through public participation, technological enhancement, and immersive experiences.
At the opening ceremony, a spectacular display of intangible cultural heritage wowed visitors.
Along Yunxi Bridge, the traditional folk art of Datiehua, or “striking iron flowers”—where molten iron is struck to create showers of sparks—illuminated the night sky like meteors.
Shehuo performances—a traditional folk celebration featuring stilt-walking, bamboo horse dances and lion dances—paraded through the ancient streets, their drumbeats echoing against centuries-old stone walls.
A highlight of the evening was a dance-and-recitation performance titled “Spring arrives in Xun County amid whistles from Ni Gugu.” The performance centered on a kind of clay whistle figurine named Ni Gugu, which is Xun County’s national intangible cultural heritage.
Young performers beat drums while reciting verses from “The Book of Songs,” China’s oldest poetry collection, symbolizing the transmission of cultural heritage across generations.
To the stirring strains of “Millennium Shehuo,” the festival’s theme song, Xun County’s premier Shehuo troupe took center stage in a dazzling tribute to folk traditions.
Renowned cultural scholar Shan Jixiang attended the opening, promoting Xun County to global audiences as a destination where visitors can “appreciate intangible cultural heritage, savor local cuisine, and experience an authentic Chinese New Year.”
Beyond traditional performances, the festival incorporates innovative and technology-enhanced elements.
The “Night Tour of Liyang City” offers an immersive experience along the ancient streets that features a lively Shehuo parade along the way, blending ancient architecture with contemporary spectacle.
Light installations and digital projections further animate the ancient city’s architecture, reflecting the festival’s commitment to what organizers describe as “creative transformation and innovative development” of traditional culture.
Once a local temple fair, the Central Plains (Hebi) Folk Culture Festival has evolved into a nationally acclaimed event, drawing visitors from across China and beyond.
International visitors have already taken notice. “Today we walked through the Xun County Ancient City, observing the interplay of light and shadow on the ancient city walls, listening to the traditional drum music, and experiencing the unique craftsmanship of intangible cultural heritage,” one foreign visitor said, noting the “cultural confidence and vibrant development of the Central Plains in the new era.”
For Xun County, officially designated as a county renowned for Chinese folk art and culture, the Spring Festival represents more than a seasonal celebration—it serves as a living treasury of intangible cultural heritage and community identity.
As the festival continues through early March, organizers remain focused on their vision: creating beauty, enabling visitors to experience it, and ensuring local communities benefit from it.
In Xun County, the past is not preserved behind glass—it parades through the streets, burns bright against the night sky, and passes from one generation to the next.
Company: Xun County
Contact Person: Li Mingkun
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.Xun County.gov.cn/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/xzzfxx/jxfzhggwyhjxlshwzcbjfbfbfbfb/index.html
City: Hebi
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c01f3d53-0639-4306-bd9b-26b836b0bb59
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/25d11f56-123f-4ce2-9b01-06d3082fd513
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/05c43038-46d3-45f0-8d22-a955c29bbd91
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8892a13a-8c08-4f06-ac36-2e98f4b63e8e
