A tourism campaign in Yongzhou City, central China's Hunan Province, concluded successfully, attracting massive crowds not only to popular football matches but also to local cultural legacies, natural landscape, and culinary delights, particularly its signature sweet-sour-spicy Dong'an Chicken.
Yongzhou has been a key host city for the Hunan Football Super League, known as "Xiang Chao", since this summer, with matches held in its historic Lingling District. The local government departments organized a series of culinary and cultural events around the "Xiang Chao" to boost tourism revenue and regional economic vitality.
He Lan, director of the Lingling District Bureau of Culture, Tourism and Sports, said that "Xiang Chao" has brought massive exposure to Lingling, particularly igniting the youth consumption market.
"'Xiang Chao' has elevated the profile of Yongzhou, a nationally famous historical and cultural city. As the core area of this prestigious historic city, Lingling boasts a profound heritage. Here, visitors can follow in the footsteps of Liu Zongyuan, savor the sublime beauty of his Eight Records of Yongzhou, experience the bold poetic spirit of calligrapher Huaisu's hometown, and immerse themselves in the supreme aesthetic of mountains and waters at the source of Xiao and Xiang rivers," she said.
Fueled by this rich legacy, Lingling successfully converted the massive influx from the sports events into tangible economic gains.
Yongzhou City has been well known for "The Eight Records of Excursions in Yongzhou", a series of travel essays written by literary master Liu Zongyuan (773-819), renowned for their profound depiction of the city's unique natural scenery. Lingling also boasts being at the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, which present a high aesthetic landscape.
"Through a rich variety of activities and both online and offline promotion, Lingling has actively captured the traffic brought by 'Xiang Chao'. Homestay occupancy has exceeded 90 percent, traditional costume photo shoots are booming, and revenue has hit record highs. Visitors rave about the local cuisine," He said.
Food proved to be a cornerstone of tourism spending. Dong'an Chicken, originating from Dong'an County in Yongzhou and ranked among Hunan's Eight Great Dishes, captivated visitors with its signature sweet-sour-spicy flavor, melt-in-the-mouth tenderness, and vibrant red, white, green, and yellow presentation.
"'Xiang Chao' went viral, Yongzhou went viral, and Dong'an Chicken went viral with it. Every day now, tens of thousands of tourists flock to Yongzhou to check in and taste Dong'an Chicken along with many more Yongzhou delicacies," said Jiang Zonglin, president of the Dong'an Chicken Industry Development Association.
The culinary origin tour not only showcased the profound cultural depth of Yongzhou cuisine but also served as a successful model for a development strategy integrating aviation, culture, tourism, and sports. By linking the entire industry chain, Yongzhou has significantly elevated its city brand while achieving a double harvest in tourism consumption and the growth of local specialty industries.
Immersive Tour around culture, food concludes in Hunan’s Yongzhou City
