China has launched a film-driven tourism campaign to boost holiday consumption during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival break, running from October 1 to 8, with service providers across the country rolling out themed activities, discounts, and cross-industry promotions.
This includes a national campaign titled "Travel Following Movies," which, alongside the Film Consumption Year initiative, encourages tourists to visit cities featured in films, promoting deeper integration between the film and tourism industries.
In Anshan City, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Qianshan National Park has set up an open-air film screening project that allows visitors to enjoy movies and performances for free.
As part of the regional campaign "Travel in Anshan Following Movies," the project also includes a specialties fair and snack vendors. So far, the open-air cinema has drawn more than 50,000 moviegoers.
Meanwhile, the China Film Administration, together with other departments, hosted a conference to promote film-themed scenic routes across several provincial-level regions, including Fujian, Jiangxi, and Henan, as well as iconic sites like the Oriental Movie Metropolis in Qingdao and Hengdian World Studios.
These locations serve as filming or storytelling backdrops for new holiday releases such as "The Volunteers: Peace at Last", "A Writer's Odyssey 2", and "Sound of Silence".
Additionally, regions such as Beijing, Zhejiang, and Henan are offering discounts at scenic spots and hotels for travelers who present select film tickets. In north China, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has introduced mutual ticket recognition across cinemas, scenic areas, theaters, and football stadiums, creating a seamless experience for culture and sports lovers alike.
China launches film-driven tourism campaign to boost holiday consumption
Film-themed tourist destinations across China saw a surge in visitor numbers during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, as the traditional festival overlapped with new spring break in several regions, creating a longer travel window and boosting domestic tourism.
The Tangcheng Film and Television Base in Xiangyang City in central China's Hubei Province, laid on extra events to take advantage of the overlapping holidays, resulting in a healthy rise in visitor numbers.
"During this year's Qingming holiday, we received a total of 71,800 visits, up 24 percent year on year compared with 2025. Thanks to the spring break policy this year, our peak tourism season started earlier than before. It also brought in more cross-provincial tourists to our scenic area, and both the visitor volume and the proportion of tourists from other provinces increased," said Wang Liang, general manager of the Tangcheng Film and Television Base.
To entertain the visitors, Tangcheng hosted a series of all-day interactive performances and themed programs, offering tourists an immersive experience built around traditional culture and film production settings.
Similar scenes were reported in east China's Zhejiang Province, where the Hengdian World Studios, one of the largest active film and television studios in the world, also welcomed a wave of tourists.
Family visitors, particularly parents traveling with children, were the main drivers of the tourism boom, according to the scenic area.
"We are here in Hengdian mainly thanks to the spring break. My child has worked hard at school so I think she can take a break here," a tourist said.
Local hospitality business operators in the area also noted visitor flows were significantly higher than in previous years, with family travel rising sharply.
Several provinces across the country introduced their first-ever spring break this year. The break typically lasts two or three days, but falls at different times. In some areas, the break comes just before the three-day Qingming Festival in early April, while in others it extends into the May Day holiday or is combined with weekends, resulting in a break of five to eight days.
The new vacation not only allows children to connect with nature in spring and reduces students' academic burden, but also creates a window for family travel, which is expected to boost tourism and consumption.
Overlapping holidays boost tourism at China's film-themed attractions
