The 2023 Shuozhou Great Wall Tourism Festival, jointly organized by the authority of Shuozhou city and the Shanxi Department of Culture and Tourism, opened on July 28. 

The event aims to accelerate the construction of the Great Wall No 1 tourist highway and Guangwu National Great Wall Cultural Park, and promote the integration and development of cultural tourism, wellness, and healthcare industries. 

It also strengthens cultural exchanges with cities along the Great Wall and attracts more travel-related enterprises, talents, and projects to settle in Shuozhou.

Zhang Zhiren, deputy director of the Shanxi Department of Culture and Tourism, stated that Shanxi is one of the provinces with a significant distribution of the Great Wall sections, and Shuozhou is an area rich in Great Wall cultural resources, with a total length of 327 kilometers of Great Wall ruins and 1,649 ancient castles and watchtowers. 

"We hope that the city can seize this opportunity to fully leverage its abundant historical and cultural resources and continuously deepen the integration and development of cultural tourism and related industries," said Zhang. 

This is the fifth time that Shuozhou has hosted the festival. This year's event lasts until the end of September. It consists of 26 activities, including the opening ceremony, Guangwu Great Wall National Cultural Park Development Forum, photography theme activities, and an intangible cultural heritage exhibition.