China News Service, Guangzhou, September 27 (Reporter Cheng Jingwei) According to a report from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism on the 27th, the province's cultural tourism market continues to grow in popularity during the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival (September 25-27). According to preliminary estimates, the province will receive 24.817 million tourists, an increase of 28.9% on a comparable basis compared with the same period in 2025; tourism expenditure will be 12.55 billion yuan, an increase of 27.6% on a comparable basis compared with the same period in 2025.
During the holidays, the popularity of rural tourism in Guangdong was high, fully reflecting the practical results of the "Hundreds and Thousands Project" to empower cultural tourism. The number of tourists received by the 100 rural tourist spots and ancient villages included in the province's monitoring increased by 64.2% on a comparable basis compared with the same period in 2025.
Various regions in Guangdong closely follow the theme of Mid-Autumn Festival reunion, explore Lingnan characteristic cultural resources such as Guangfu, Chaoshan, and Hakka, and launch a number of immersive and interactive cultural tourism projects. Among them, Guangzhou held the "Xiongguanmandao - Sculpture Exhibition to Commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Victory of the Red Army's Long March"; Shenzhen deeply integrated Yantian's local intangible cultural heritage with traditional lighting art and modern light and shadow technology to create an immersive lantern that "watches lanterns, appreciates intangible cultural heritage, and interactively learns inheritance" will; Jiangmen Chikan Overseas Chinese Ancient Town has installed a giant moon installation, and the century-old arcade is covered with dreamy moonlight gauze; Shantou uses the Chaoshan moon worship custom as the main line to create an immersive moon worship experience in multiple scenes such as Zhonghai Happy Farm, small parks, and Zhongjun World City.
Since the launch of the Guangdong Golden Autumn Cultural Tourism Consumption Season in 2026, the province has issued a total of 30 million yuan in cultural tourism consumption subsidies to benefit the people, covering hotels, scenic spots, tourist routes, as well as new business formats such as cruises and yachts, study and health care. During this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, Guangdong's A-level scenic islands have become one of the popular destinations for tourists. Wailingding Island, Dong'ao Island, Guishan Island, etc. have created unique scenes for the Mid-Autumn Festival, allowing tourists to experience the romantic island atmosphere; Shaoguan Danxia Mountain Scenic Area offers geological exploration, ancient village tracking and other diversified tour routes, attracting a large number of tourists to climb up and enjoy the scenic spots.
Short-distance micro-vacations, health and leisure travel continue to grow. During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, Qingyuan Hezhong Hot Spring created an immersive vacation model of "leisure bathing + light health and wellness" and launched a series of experiences such as solar term herbal hot spring baths and seasonal health teas. It has become a popular destination for tourists to escape the peak season and relax with the whole family.
Li Xingkai, general manager of Hezhong Hot Spring, said that today's "hot spring" economy is no longer just about playing in the water for leisure, but also a reflection of health and wellness. It is hoped that tourists can gradually establish a concept of healthy life in the process of relaxing in the "hot spring".
During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, Guangdong promoted the delayed opening policy of more than 20 public cultural venues across the province. Cultural venues at all levels closely followed the Mid-Autumn Festival theme and launched a number of public welfare and inclusive cultural activities to meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the people.
Among them, the Guangdong Provincial Museum launched a series of activities, including the "Exquisite Lights and Lights Reflecting the Moon" activity, which set up interesting lantern riddles based on folk customs, history, and art. The audience guessed riddles among the lights and shadows and enjoyed the elegance of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Guangdong Provincial Zhongshan Library integrated Mid-Autumn elements into interactive science activities and led readers to make creative mooncake models through sharing sessions.
