Wuxing, Huzhou, Zhejiang: Diverse creativity “awakens” the vitality of rural cultural tourism

China News Service, Huzhou, October 2 (Huang Yanjun, Yao Guoqin) On the stone steps of the tea garden on the Luyu Ancient Road, backpackers gathered in small groups; real-life games were staged in the Yigao Ancient Village, and tourists were immersed in the play; as night fell, iron flowers splashed and lit up the night sky of the ancient village... During the National Day holiday, Wuxing District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province dug deep into the mountains and ancient village resources to "awaken" the vitality of rural cultural tourism with diverse creativity.

Thousand-year-old trails usher in holiday “hiking fever”

In the early morning, the mist of Xiamu Mountain Reservoir has not dispersed, and tourists are already gearing up at the entrance of Luyu Ancient Road. This ancient road, named after Lu Yu, the "Tea Sage" of the Tang Dynasty, asked for tea and visited water. Along the way, there are lush forests and bamboos, and clear waters and rapids. It has been selected as one of the "Top Ten Ancient Roads in China" and "The Most Popular Ancient Road in China".

"Walking the Luyu Ancient Trail is different from walking on other mountain roads. The stone road under your feet was stepped by tea transporters thousands of years ago, and the tea gardens on the roadside are the ones written in the "Tea Book."" Mr. Chen, a hiking enthusiast from Shanghai, has walked this route for the third time.

During the National Day holiday, tourists rest at the Tianzi Station at the entrance to the archway of Tianzi Ancient Road in Wuxing, Zhejiang. Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of Wuxing District Committee

Different from the tea-scented Zen atmosphere of the Luyu Ancient Trail, the Tianzi Ancient Trail in Daixi Town attracts another group of hikers with its wild charm of "listening to the wind in the sea of bamboos and tracking strange rocks." This ancient road passes through Tianzi Mountain, Tuokai Mountain, Shiyan Mountain and other lofty mountains, with a total length of about 15 kilometers, and connects many ancient temples and strange rocks along the way. During the National Day, the average daily passenger flow of the two ancient roads increased significantly compared with normal days.

The value of the ancient trail goes beyond the hiking itself.

For example, when hikers descend from the Tianzi Ancient Trail, they can walk into the "Old Time Inn" in Maowu Village to drink tea, eat and buy local products; after completing the Luyu Ancient Trail, parent-child families can rest in Shaokang Village and Miaoshan Village to replenish their supplies, and experience tea meals and handmade courses.

In the past, tourists "climbed the mountain and left". Nowadays, the ancient roads connect the villages along the route, and the consumption scene has been naturally extended, transforming it into a new driving force for rural development.

Young makers light up the "National Day stalls" in Taihu and Hong Kong

"In the past few days during the National Day, the customer flow has nearly tripled compared to usual. Many tourists come specifically for the cats in the store and our concept. The store provides delicious food, coffee drinks, and you can meet versatile friends. After staying here for an afternoon, all worries will disappear." In the Xinjiangang area of Taihu Lake in Wuxing District, Zhang Rong, the manager of Taihu Cat Forest Collection Store, is making coffee for customers behind the bar.

This holiday season, Taihu Xinjingang Area in Wuxing District is also experiencing a boom in cultural tourism consumption. A number of immersive and youthful rural cultural tourism projects have been unveiled, bringing youthful vitality to the millennium-old Hong Kong.

During the National Day holiday, a rural coffee shop in Wuxing, Zhejiang attracts tourists. Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of Wuxing District Committee

In Yigao Ancient Village, tourists held game manuals, shuttled between ancient bridges and old houses, and participated in a unique mystery real-life game.

The person in charge of the "Yigao Mystery" project planning team introduced that the purpose of creating this real-life immersive experience project is to take everyone on an in-depth slow tour of the ancient village and "translate" the heritage of the thousand-year-old ancient village in a way that young people like.

In recent years, the Taihu Xinhangang Area has relied on its resource endowment to promote the staggered layout and diversified development of villages such as Yigao, Wupu, Yangma, Huanman, etc., which has not only built a high-quality platform for young people to start their own businesses, but also promoted employment for local people.

According to the person in charge of the area, the composite scene of "catering + cultural creativity + leisure" avoids homogeneous competition. In the first half of 2026, the local number of tourists exceeded 2.13 million, and overnight tourists exceeded 450,000, driving consumption of 13.35 million yuan.

Day and night linkage activates new scenes of cultural tourism

In Lucun Village, Balidian Town, Wuxing District, the four ancient bridges from the Song Dynasty, Tengjiao, Qifeng, Hualong and Tianbao, are usually the background for tourists to take photos and check in. This holiday has also become a real-life stage for "script killing".

"After tourists receive the script task card for free, and complete interactions such as tracking and solving puzzles, checking in in the ancient town, and knowledge questions and answers, they can collect 'lu fees' and exchange them for small cultural and creative gifts." According to the event operator, this "borderless" gameplay is different from traditional indoor script killing, allowing tourists to have a real connection with the ancient village while walking.

As the site of the Qianshanyang site, Lucun, a city with a long history and rich culture, is using a dual-line model of "daytime roaming + nighttime performances" to transform the heritage of the thousand-year-old village into cultural tourism products that can be participated in and experienced.

During the National Day holiday, tourists interact with scenic NPCs at Lucun Water Street in Wuxing, Zhejiang. Photo courtesy of the Propaganda Department of Wuxing District Committee

In the evening, at the square in front of the Lucun Classics Museum, the Hu Opera started on time. Professional performers are on site to perform classic excerpts and folk tunes, coupled with popular explanations, allowing young tourists to understand local Huzhou operas.

As night falls, the blacksmiths in Boya Manor appear on time. The hot molten iron was shot into the night sky by the craftsmen, and the stars in the sky fell into the water, complementing the lights of the ancient village.

Mr. Li, a tourist who came from Hangzhou, held up his mobile phone to record the entire performance. He said with endless emotion: "I have only seen the iron flower in a short video before, but watching it live is completely different. The moment the iron flower fell on the water, the whole audience cheered."

Watching the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers during the day and admiring the fireworks at night, Wuxing uses innovative business formats to extend the duration of rural tours and promote tourists to shift from "seeing the village" to "entering the village and staying in the village", allowing the rural landscape and thousand-year-old culture to be reborn in the integration.