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Ancient China's capitals bring immersive cultural experiences to tourists during holiday

China

China

China

Ancient China's capitals bring immersive cultural experiences to tourists during holiday

2025-10-04 11:10 Last Updated At:11:37

Several cities which served as the capitals of China back in ancient times have rolled out a variety of interesting culture- and history-themed activities to entertain visitors during the ongoing eight-day National Day and Mi-Autumn Festival holiday, enabling visitors to have immersive experiences.

In Luoyang City of central China's Henan Province -- the capital of 13 ancient China dynasties, the five major museums have jointly launched a special event, providing one-stop, in-depth and engaging cultural experiences to visitors.

At the Sui-Tang Dynasties Grand Canal Cultural Museum, museum guides dressed as ancient characters handed out museum maps to visitors and accompanied them on a tour to trace threads of history.

"This map is very thoughtful, as it gathers introductions to all the popular cultural relics of Luoyang together, which makes me long to visit more cultural and historical sites in Luoyang and know more about Luoyang's history," said Shi Zhaorui, a visitor.

In operating the joint event, the five major museums have all designated staff members to dress up in the style of ancient characters, offering guide services in tours and games like riddle-solving to visitors in a more interactive way.

"With this museum map in hand, tourists can not only collect stamps at the five major museums in Luoyang, but also enjoy discounts on payment for cultural and creative products, guide services during museum tours, VR experiences and special exhibitions," said Cao Hu, deputy curator of the Sui-Tang Dynasties Grand Canal Cultural Museum.

Meanwhile, Xianyang City of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, the capital of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC), has also launched a series of culture-related events, integrating the ancient city's cultural and historical profundity with modern vitality.

At one of its scenic spots, a digital project "revitalizes" Terracotta Warriors with visual effects, so that visitors can pass through time and space to step into the historical setting.

"The Terracotta Warriors presented by VR look quite real. It's like I literally stand in front of them, very immersive," said a tourist from Xi'an City.

When the night falls, more colorful audio-visual feasts are presented to visitors. Drone shows and music performance are put on stage, allowing visitors from across the country to have a wonderful night.

This year, the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday season runs until October 8.

Ancient China's capitals bring immersive cultural experiences to tourists during holiday

Ancient China's capitals bring immersive cultural experiences to tourists during holiday

More than a month ahead of the Chinese New Year, restaurants across China have reported a booming demand for reunion dinners, with popular places already fully reserved.

The family reunion dinners on the eve of the Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival, is the most important meal of the year for Chinese people. It has long been an essential part of celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year, the festival falls on Feb 17.

In Taiyuan, capital city of north China's Shanxi Province, one restaurant said all tables for the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner have been reserved.

"We now have 36 private rooms and 13 tables in the hall. The New Year's Eve dinner is fully booked. Many families started reserving as early as November 2025," said Han Huiyan, a restaurant manager.

To meet the demand, many restaurants start to offer takeaway banquet package that can be easily prepared at home, allowing families to enjoy a variety of festive dishes without dining out.

In Ningbo, a city in east China's Zhejiang Province, many popular restaurants said that they are approaching full reservation levels. To reduce peak demand, some restaurants now offer off-peak reunion dinners starting later at night.

"We now offer a 'second round' of New Year's Eve dinners, which start at 19:30. We also offer discount for such New Year's Eve dinners, a promotion of 20 percent off set menus," said Sun Lijuan, a restaurant manager.

In Lianyungang, a city in east China's Jiangsu Province, smaller private rooms of a local restaurant have been nearly sold out, and customized menus and home-delivery services have drawn strong interest.

"This year we have specially launched the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner delivery service. Bookings are very strong and customers really like this option," said Geng Maoran, a restaurant general manager.

Restaurants see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners

Restaurants see surge in bookings for Chinese New Year's Eve dinners

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