How Linyi turned holiday crowds into lasting tourism gains

Crowds packed Linyi's cultural and tourism sites during this year's National Day holiday, with long queues at the Wang Xizhi Former Residence, busy trails on Mengshan and lantern-lit streets in Langya Ancient City.

The city welcomed a strong start on Oct 1. Images of thousands climbing to the 1,000-meter summit of the Mengshan Guimeng scenic area spread quickly on social media, while the Yunmeng scenic area, with its dense forests and new attractions such as "Elf Valley," trended on Douyin, with long lines for its forest roller coaster and rainbow slide.

Cultural landmarks drew similar attention. Visitor numbers at the Yinqueshan Han Bamboo Slips Museum and the Wang Xizhi Former Residence climbed steadily, with the latter imposing visitor caps on Oct 3 and 4 after ticket sales hit maximum capacity, and issuing notices urging visitors to travel at off-peak times. Immersive performances at Langya Ancient City ran multiple sessions.

The night-time economy was a highlight. The Denghuo Lanshan · New Langya scenic area staged Chinese-style flash mobs, street opera and folk music performances from afternoon into the night, with food alleys open until early morning. After daytime visitor numbers peaked, the Lishanjian scenic area in Fei county guided visitors to enter after 4 pm, upgrading night tours from an add-on to a core service.

Behind the crowds was preparation by the Linyi culture and tourism bureau. On Sept 14, the Linyi municipal government information office held a news conference to launch the 2026 "Visit Yimeng to Enjoy Autumn" autumn campaign, focusing on the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays and rolling out themed products and support measures across product supply, event organization, cultural services and holiday services. Gao Chao, head of the bureau's market promotion section, said more than 290 cultural tourism activities in nine categories were launched for the two holidays, along with five travel routes combining performances, scenic areas and cuisine for family and self-driving tourists.

The city also expanded its new media outreach. Before the holiday, Langya News launched a new culture and tourism channel, and Linyi encouraged online hosts to visit villages and scenic areas to promote its landscapes, heritage crafts and local products through short videos and livestreams. The Guimeng scenic area trended on Douyin and Weibo locally, the Yunmeng area topped Douyin charts and the Tianmeng area appeared on Shandong News.

Product innovation was central. The Guimeng scenic area launched high-altitude adventure rides alongside mountain live performances, revolutionary-themed shows and forest activities. The Tianmeng area offered chestnut picking, local food markets and live performances, with nearly 100 chefs cooking Linyi fried chicken each morning.

Concerts also played a role. The Linyi stop of Li Ronghao's tour was held on Oct 5 and 6, and Aaron Kwok's world tour was scheduled for Oct 10. The city mobilized businesses across scenic areas, accommodation, dining and shopping to offer ticket-stub benefits, with 34 scenic areas offering free or half-price admission to concertgoers, linking a single ticket to the full chain of dining, lodging, travel, shopping and entertainment.

Services were strengthened as well. On Sept 21, the bureau held a meeting on safety and the holiday market, calling for converting "event traffic" into "consumption that stays." The city issued a third round of culture and tourism consumption vouchers, offering 20 percent off scenic area tickets and discounts of up to 100 yuan. Nineteen bus routes now link scenic areas and business districts, with all 3A-level and above scenic areas reachable within 30 minutes and connected within an hour. Traffic police provided guidance at scenic area entrances and stations, volunteers offered information and assistance at the railway station, and the airport improved services. Parking supply around popular scenic areas was maximized.

In 2025, Linyi received more than 100 million domestic visits and tourism revenue surpassed 100 billion yuan, with both visitor numbers and revenue growth ranking first in the province during the National Day and Mid-Autumn holidays. The city's approach — releasing event plans early, sustaining novelty through performances, lowering the threshold with vouchers and ticket benefits, and backing it up with transport and volunteer services — is steadily converting traffic into stays.

Linyi's foundation rests on its diverse resources and its integrated culture and tourism development layout. A 32-kilometer water sightseeing route has been built along the Yihe River, and the Mengtong Shengjing resort became popular immediately upon opening. With offerings spanning the calligraphy heritage of the Sage of Calligraphy's hometown, the patriotic atmosphere of Mengshan's peaks, the light-and-shadow experience of Langya Ancient City and the rustic life of the countryside, the city no longer depends on a single attraction — a full-domain, all-hours product matrix is itself the strongest guarantee of repeat visits.

Editor：韩蒙蒙