Modern travelers immerse themselves in traditional life

Singer performs

Other forms of local intangible cultural heritage, such as dragon boat races, have been highlighted at the park during public holidays.

Chen Zhenqiu, who was named a national inheritor of dragon boat singing in 2018, has been invited to perform at the park in recent years.

"It's been a delight to perform dragon boat singing in front of so many visitors from across the country and have such large audiences hear this traditional artform," Chen said.

"Performances at tourist attractions and interaction with visitors are beneficial in bringing intangible cultural heritage to life and increasing its popularity."

Wang Jihai, a senior staff member at the theme park, said such experiences, which have proved popular with visitors, are aimed at enabling them to experience local history and culture.

Intangible cultural experiences have been beneficial for the park's operations nationwide.

Such events at OCT Fabland Xiangyang in Hubei province have drawn about 1 million visitors annually since the venue opened in 2020.

Learning tours at the Xiangyang attraction that highlight local intangible cultural heritage attracted a total of more than 50,000 visits from primary and middle school students by the end of last year.

Wang Xiaofeng, president of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association, said that as a key tourism resource, intangible cultural heritage is one of the most dynamic ways to integrate culture and tourism.

Such heritage signals the achievements of the nation's culture and history, reflects cultural diversity, and provides a way to meld culture and tourism, Wang said.

More than 80 percent of China's intangible cultural heritage is named after the regions or ethnic groups from which it derives, and it provides tourists with a wealth of local customs, craftsmanship and performing arts, Wang said.

The strong local flavor of this heritage can add to the appeal of travelers' cultural exploration trips, he added.

A growing number of examples of intangible cultural heritage and their inheritors are featured at tourism areas to enrich visitors' experience.