On the evening of Aug. 24, another episode of the long-waited 2020 Chongqing Showcase lives streaming show aired via Taobao, NetEase, and some other local media platforms, with the mayor of Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County promoting tourism and creative cultural products for 90 minutes, attracting over 15 million views in total.

Four Recommended Travel Routes

"I have done a lot of preparation for this," said county Mayor Ma Wensen at the beginning of the live stream event. To better promote the unique culture and tourism in Xiushan, Ma carefully selected and recommended four main travel routes for visitors to explore.

The "Reliving the Frontier City Dream" route takes you on a trip to the Hong' an Ancient Town, on which the famous novel "Frontier City" was based. The "Winding Rivers and Streams" route includes the 45 "magic turns" and the Chuanhegai Grassland Scenic Area. The "Dancing in the Wuling Mountain" route consists of the Yikou Mountains and Rivers, the Dragon and Phoenix Flower Sea, and the Daxi Youshui Scenic Area. The "A Feast of Festive Lanterns" route features the most distinctive cultural tourism products like Century West Street, the Phoenix Mountain Lantern, and Folk Culture Scenic Area, the China Microfilm City and the Modern E-Commerce and Logistics Park.

"Xiushan got its name for its beautiful mountain views, with a population of 670,000 people, 58.7% of which are from the 30 ethnic groups living here," Ma told the viewers on the live stream show. "The Tujia, Miao, Han, and other ethnic people have been living in harmony with each other for generations."

Local Delicacies: "Three Provinces in One Wok"

With the theme of the live stream event being dubbed "Frontier City, Exquisite Xiushan," Ma spared no effort to promote the beautiful natural sceneries and the hospitable ethnic people living here. Apart from the vivid-looking photos and promotional videos he brought on the show, Ma also took upon himself the job responsibilities of a tour guide and a mukbang, trying out the delicacies and cuisines right in front of the camera.

A very memorable cuisine called "Hong'an Fish with Pickled Vegetable" was highly recommended by Ma during the show. The indispensable materials required in cooking this dish are the fish from Hunan Province, the tofu from Guizhou Province, and the pickled vegetables from Chongqing Municipality. After seeing the many comments from the viewers about how they want to try this cuisine for themselves, Ma was quick to extend his warmest welcome.

According to Ma, the cuisine also enjoys another nickname called "Three Provinces in One Wok," which he said was because of Xiushan's unique geological location, right in the center of the Wuling Mountain Area and shares cooking flavors with the neighboring provinces.

The hanging Gardens of "Chuanhe Gai"

About 40 kilometers northeast of the county's downtown area, the so-called "Chuanhe Gai" scenic area is very popular among residents and is reputed as "The Hanging Gardens of Xiushan." "Gai" in the local language refers to plateaus with a high altitude, said Ma.

"The extremely tortuous road to the Chuanhegai Scenic Area winds about 45 turns, but the view along the road is so soothing and surreal that you won't feel the fatigue like you normally do, and you might even get the feeling that you are driving through the clouds into the sky," cited Ma as one of the many reasons to recommend this scenic area.

Another reason for the recommendation is the 1,533-meter-long cable car with a splendid view of the overhanging cliffs and a high-altitude grassland that stretches for miles, added Ma. "And the average summer temperature here is only about 19 degrees Celsius whereas, at the same time, the temperature in the downtown area could be as high as 38 degrees Celsius."

Cultural Heritage

During the live stream show, Ma invited a famed calligrapher and some local inheritors of intangible cultural heritage to perform on stage. The folk song "Huang Yang Shoulder Pole" was performed by two local artists and won a big round of applaud from the viewers. The Lantern Show and the Lantern Opera were also displayed to the audience through a prerecorded promotional video. Ma encouraged viewers to watch the Lantern Opera for themselves at the Tianhou Palace in Xiushan West Street. Such locally made lantern operas as "Sending the local and even national audiences to have well-received love Letter," "Gongcha Village," and "Year-End Banquet."

"Schools in Xiushan have opened courses on its intangible cultural heritage, to nurture more inheritors among the younger generation, which is actually why the tradition of Lantern Show survived for centuries and is now still thriving," said Ma.