On the morning of New Year's Eve, the Wuxia City in Wansui Mountain, Kaifeng, Henan Province, is bustling with people. NPCs (referring to various characters played by real people) dressed in ancient costumes shuttle through it, engaging in dialogue and interaction with tourists; On the evening of the fifth day of the lunar new year, Tang Monk and his disciples reproduced their journey to the west in the steep slope pond of Huangguoshu Scenic Area, and the changing lights dyed the waterfall with new colors; In the ancient city of Pingyao, Shanxi, the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year is strong, and biomimetic robots perform martial arts in the exhibition hall, attracting visitors to marvel and cheer... During the Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse, it was found in many scenic spots and theme parks that the cultural and tourism markets in various regions were fully operational, exploring new paths of cultural and tourism integration with diversified cultural and tourism products. With the help of new scenarios such as immersive performances and digital technology experiences, the cultural and tourism market is showing new vitality. From "seeing the scenery" to "immersing in the plot" immersive NPC interactions, large-scale theatrical performances, folk experiences, and characteristic markets... During this year's Spring Festival, "experience" has become a new password for "attracting" cultural tourism scenic spots and theme parks. Since the popularity of "Wang Po's Matchmaking" in 2024, the Wansui Mountain Martial Arts City in Kaifeng City, Henan Province has continuously attracted tourists from all over the country. From 2024 to 2025, the annual operating revenue of the scenic area will increase from 80 million yuan to 1.27 billion yuan. Early on New Year's Eve, Xiaolin, who lives in Heze, Shandong, drove with her family for more than 2 hours to Kaifeng and made a special trip to Wansui Mountain Wuxia City. She said that what attracted her the most was interacting with NPCs. This is my first time visiting Wansui Mountain, and there are indeed quite a few performances here, round after round, "Xiaolin said. It is understood that during the Spring Festival, Wansui Mountain creates over 4000 daily performances and over a hundred new Spring Festival plays, incorporating diverse theme elements such as Water Margin, Immortal Heroes, Landscape and Countryside, Martial Arts, and Modern, to meet the needs of different tourist groups. In terms of overall atmosphere creation, performance stage layout, tourist flow arrangement, check-in props display, large-scale play arrangement, and individual NPC interaction, it brings full surprises to tourists in multiple dimensions. In order to welcome the surge in tourists during the Spring Festival, Longting District in Kaifeng City has coordinated the resources of its jurisdiction and opened 11 government agencies and supporting parking lots during the Spring Festival holiday. Tourists can park for free throughout the entire process. In the face of an increase in foot traffic, we provide reliable services and create a highly cost-effective scenic area to welcome tourists with a smile of service. ”Mr. Wang, a staff member of Wansui Mountain Wuxia City, said that the scenic area has deployed "Jinyiwei Patrol Team", Blue Sky Rescue Team, professional security and cleaning personnel to promptly handle various emergencies and ensure a clean and orderly environment in the park. In addition, the park uses a big data crowd control system to monitor changes in crowd flow in real time, scientifically guide and reasonably divert traffic, and avoid excessive crowd gathering. The first garden party held during the Spring Festival in the hometown of Huangdi in Xinzheng City, Henan Province, has also brought new experiences to tourists. From the Root Seeking Gate to the Ancestral Worship Square, various performances are staged in rotation, and along the way, you can interact with interesting NPCs to earn "silver tickets". "Silver tickets" can be exchanged for specialty foods, toys, and New Year gifts at the market at the entrance. Among them, the ancestral worship ceremony held at the Ancestral Worship Square attracted many tourists to stop and participate in the experience. I live nearby and bought tickets specifically to experience the ancestral worship ceremony this time. ”Ms. Yang, a local resident of Xinzheng, said. I just experienced the ancestral worship ceremony in the hometown of Huangdi, and I feel that the ceremony is very solemn. I would also recommend my friends to come here. ”Mr. Li from Wuhan said. Sheng Bowen, the on-site executive manager of Daqian Culture and Tourism, stated that this year, the scenic area has added lanterns, live NPCs, and folk performances on the basis of the original ones. In the NPC interactive section, "silver tickets" have been given as gifts and exchanged for props to increase the entertainment value of the program. A food festival has been set up at the entrance of the Root Seeking Gate to enhance the fun and experience of tourists. During the first five days of the Chinese New Year, the daily average flow of people around the scenic area is about 50000, and the daily average number of visitors entering the park is about 20000. Empowering Traditional Culture with New Technologies "I saw many robots on the Spring Festival Gala this year, but I didn't expect to see them again in the ancient city! It also allows for offline interaction, which feels particularly interesting. ”Ms. Han, a tourist visiting Pingyao Ancient City in Shanxi Province, took a photo with the robot and expressed her feelings to the reporter. During the Chinese New Year of the Horse in Bingwu, Pingyao Ancient City, a world cultural heritage site with a history of over 2800 years, features high red lights and rising fireworks. The collision of traditional heritage and modern technology inspires new vitality in the development of old scenic spots. The "Pingyao China Year" activity in 2026 covers the intangible cultural heritage market, Yuanxiao (Filled round balls made of glutinous rice-flour for Lantern Festival) fireworks, science and technology shows, among which the bionic robot performance is the core technology experience project of this year's Pingyao China Year. In the courtyard of the original cotton factory on West Street in the ancient city, the bionic robot performs precise and smooth movements, performing traditional programs such as martial arts, dance, and lion dance. The flexible robot interacts with tourists, full of cuteness and fun, attracting cheers from the scene. In addition to lively robot performances, technological elements are ubiquitous in Pingyao Ancient City. The most representative among them is SoReal Huanzhen Pingyao Science and Technology Art Museum (hereinafter referred to as "Pingyao Science and Technology Art Museum"). As the only project in Shanxi Province selected as a pilot for cultivating new immersive experience spaces for smart tourism nationwide, Pingyao Science and Technology Art Museum has been transformed from the old cotton factory site, giving the old factory new vitality and becoming a new landmark for digital cultural tourism in Pingyao Ancient City. Pingyao Science and Technology Art Museum utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as XR, multimedia interactive projection technology, and anti gravity fountain installations to integrate Pingyao's local history and art culture into the project's theme concept. Entering the venue, a 40 minute immersive experience can allow visitors to fully experience the cultural charm of Pingyao Ancient City. Previously, when we came to Pingyao, we used to stroll through ancient streets and admire the city walls. This time, we experienced the Science and Technology Art Museum and realized that traditional culture can still come to life in this way. ”Mr. Ya, a tourist from Taiyuan, Shanxi, told reporters that technology has made culture more vivid. Song Xiangqing, Vice President of the China Society of Business Economics, stated that various regions accurately match tourists' needs for deep participation through digital means and immersive, interactive experiences. Technology has given traditional culture new expression carriers, allowing "old scenic spots" to maintain tradition while completing a "secondary activation" of market attractiveness. In the Huangguoshu Scenic Area in Guizhou, known for its natural scenery, the excavation of cultural IP and the application of modern technology have also brought new vitality to the landscape. At noon on the fourth day of the lunar new year, the drums and gongs burst out in front of the Huangguoshu memorial archway. "Monkey King", "Pig Bajie" and other characters danced with the music. They interacted with tourists during their moves. Laughter rose one after another at the scene, and the atmosphere was quickly ignited. Before coming here, I only knew that Huangguoshu Waterfall was magnificent, but now I realize that it also has a connection with Journey to the West. ”After watching the NPC flash mob performance, Ms. Tao from Beijing excitedly told reporters. After nightfall, the Huangguoshu Scenic Area presents a different scene. The lights gradually lit up in front of the steep slope pond waterfall, and the water curtain shone brightly in the night. The night tour performance of "Journey to the West Again" officially kicked off. The audience slowly moves forward along the viewing route, with actors performing classic scenes such as "Three Beats of White Bone Spirit" up close in front of the waterfall. Mechanical devices and water mist effects interweave, and holographic images project varied light and shadow on the waterfall screen, making the audience feel as if they are immersed in the plot. Fu Yifu, a special researcher at Su Shang Bank, stated that technology empowerment and innovative activities are driving the revitalization of traditional scenic spots, precisely meeting the core needs of the experience economy. XR、 Cutting edge technologies such as multimedia projection have helped traditional scenic spots achieve a "new narrative". Making the 'Spring Festival fever' a 'year-round red' and this year's Spring Festival cultural and tourism market has delivered an unexpected answer. ”Fu Yifu believes that this is the result of policy dividends, supply side innovation, and consumption upgrading resonance, which not only demonstrates the strong resilience of the cultural and tourism industry, but also indicates that the industry has entered a new stage of high-quality development. At the policy level, the General Office of the State Council issued the "Several Measures on Further Cultivating New Growth Points for Prosperous Culture and Tourism Consumption" in 2025, which requires "creating new consumption scenarios" and explicitly supports "launching a batch of immersive cultural and tourism new products and scenarios" and "creating ultra-high definition, immersive, interactive new spaces for performing arts and digital exhibitions". In this context, various regions are making efforts to enrich cultural and tourism consumption formats and scenarios. From the immersive experience of Wansui Mountain Wuxia City, to the technology and art space of Pingyao Ancient City, and to the IP night tour exploration of Huangguoshu Scenic Area... Behind the lively scenes of the Chinese New Year, there is continuous investment in content innovation, technology integration, and operational systems in various regions. The Spring Festival holiday is a concentrated release window for cultural and tourism demand. Industry insiders generally believe that for the cultural and tourism market, the key is how to transform the holiday cultural and tourism heat into normalized consumption momentum. Song Xiangqing stated that the core of transforming tourism "traffic" into sustained economic "increment" lies in building a value loop led by IP, extending business formats, and promoting global linkage, and promoting the leap from ticket economy to industrial ecology. On the one hand, we need to solidify the IP core and transform culture into experiential and consumable scenarios; On the other hand, it is necessary to improve transportation, services, and other supporting facilities, so that the short-term "check-in fever" can settle into a long-term "repeat purchase rate", ultimately forming a virtuous cycle of "cultural tourism promoting consumption and consumption promoting industry". Fu Yifu suggested that various regions should dig deep into local culture and historical heritage, such as creating super IPs like Kaifeng Wuxia City, developing high stickiness experiential products like nighttime light and shadow shows, and extending tourists' stay time and consumption chain; Further promote the cross-border integration of "culture and tourism+", linking various industries such as performing arts, health and wellness, cultural and creative industries, and film and television, forming a multiplier effect of "tourism prosperity and thriving industries"; We should also strengthen long-term operation and service upgrades to turn 'internet celebrities' into' long-lasting celebrities'. (New Society)