Officials launch a gourmet food festival during the season. [Photo provided to China Daily]

More than 100 cultural and tourism events, ranging from Great Wall photography to a gourmet food festival and a cross-country run, are set to captivate visitors in Xinzhou city, North China's Shanxi province. These events, part of the city's culture and tourism season, will unfold until September.

Dignitaries and experts in culture and tourism from various regions gathered at the launch ceremony in Daixian county, Xinzhou. In a video message, Wu Weishan, the director of the National Art Museum of China, highlighted Xinzhou's wealth of historical and cultural treasures alongside its breathtaking natural landscapes. Wu expressed the museum's eagerness to collaborate with Xinzhou in advancing the preservation and evolution of Chinese culture.

The staging of this event not only puts a spotlight on Xinzhou's distinctive cultural allure and tourism offerings but also establishes a vital platform for nationwide cultural and tourism exchanges and partnerships, remarked Wu.

An international travel blogger shares his experiences with the Great Wall at the launch ceremony. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Wang Jun, the vice-president of the China Cultural Relics Academy, emphasized the profound historical and cultural legacy of Xinzhou. Speaking about the Great Wall-themed tourism season, Wang expressed that it would prompt a contemplation of history and ignite a vision for a promising future.

He assured that the academy remains committed to concentrating on and contributing to the safeguarding and enhancement of Xinzhou's cultural and tourism assets.

During the tourism launch event, a total of 12 Chinese cities were identified as possessing significant potential for future tourism development, with notable mentions including Zigong in Sichuan, Weihai in Shandong, and Xinzhou. This report was compiled by the Liaowang Institute, a think tank affiliated with Xinhua News Agency, in collaboration with the Institute for Contemporary China Studies at Tsinghua University. Its objective is to provide insights for the high-quality development of culture and tourism across the nation.

Art performance kicks off the opening ceremony of the Great Wall-themed travel season in Daixian county, Xinzhou city, Shanxi province. [Photo provided to China Daily]