Zigui striving to boost tourism potential to fuel development

It's also a sight to see locals recite Xu Yuan's works or exchange poems with each other during the festival.

The celebrations conclude with households inviting relatives and neighbors to dance and sing until sunrise.

The celebrations are part of the local government's efforts to boost tourism and local life.

As of the end of 2018, Zigui had developed five national scenic spots, including the top-rated cultural tourist area of Quyuan's hometown.

And star-rated hotels, homestays and upgraded rural entertainment facilities have also sprung up to cater to travelers.

Zigui received 9.40 million tourist visits in 2018, and tourism income was 13.3 billion yuan ($1.92 billion).

In recent years, a growing number of visitors have been present at the Dragon Boat Festival in the county where they try on ancient clothing from the Warring States Period, and pay respect to Qu Yuan, besides reading related literature at the cultural tourist area in Quyuan's hometown, according to local officials.

The large-scale opera, Our Dragon Boat Festival, has been performed more than 130 times in the area, attracting more than 90,000 viewers.

The rural culture and tourism events featuring local specialities have also helped local farmers increase their incomes.

In a related development, more than 10 million people tuned in to the live broadcasts of the local celebrations on major video streaming sites over the years.

The Zigui government is striving to turn the city into a core tourism zone along the Yangtze River by tapping into its rich culture and ecological resources.

The county was named China's most beautiful filming location at the 74th Venice International Film Festival in 2017. And the goal is to develop a 10-billion-yuan tourism industry to boost Zigui's development.