Chongqing- On October 5th, the large-scale culture and tourism promotion activity “2020 Chongqing Showcase” with a focus on Tongliang District was live-streamed. Guojie Jiang, the mayor of Tongliang District, brought internet users to admire the authenticity and beauty of local customs of Tongliang through experiencing its historical culture, ecological environment, and pastoral scenery. The live stream has attracted more than 14 million online viewers' attention.

Tongliang has a land area of 1,340 square kilometers rich in unique cultural tourism resources. Within the 60-minutes live stream, more than 40 kinds of local cultural and creative products were introduced, pushing the live stream into a climax. Live streaming e-commerce has reached massive proportions, attracting viewers to purchase products through real-time interactions and special discounts. With millions of likes received from followers, the live stream of Tongliang was considered as a successful live promotion event.

According to Jiang, the use of the live stream for the promotion of local tourism in Tongliang, leading the majority of online viewers to “walk into” the screen and getting to know a wide range of local food, daily necessities, and products that highly relate of many aspects of peoples’ lives. It is not only a low-cost form of marketing but also an effective way of reducing labor, time, and space, shortening the distance between buyers and sellers for an immersive and vibrant shopping experience.

After the live stream ended, many viewers expressed their willingness to come over and visit Tongliang, taking an action to truly feel the place. “Our whole family came to Tongliang today because we watched this live stream. The mayor, Jiang, has recommended a lot of interesting places, including Anju Ancient Town, Bayue Mountain, Tongliang Museum, and Huayu Valley,” said Xiaohong Lei, a tourist visited Tongliang. “We are excited to experience the natural scenery, culture, and history of the Tongliang District."

Jiang thinks the concepts of “returning to nature” and “seeking a slow lifestyle”, alone with achieving mental and physical relaxation are becoming increasingly popular among young people. Nevertheless, many people still don’t know where to enjoy the original ecological scenery and which place provides the best reception service to stay. In this case, viewers will be able to evaluate whether a place is worth to travel, with the mayor of that District or County exploring and sharing experiences of areas for audiences that itching to visit. 

In addition, to showcase the highlights of Tongliang, Jiang also states that, rural tourism serves as an important role for the promotion of local prosperity and poverty alleviation, helping to enhance the quality of people's lives and build a comprehensive well-off society. Livestreaming is adding to rural development. He thinks it is necessary to train and select the live stream talents, create detailed live stream plans so that the use of live stream can be better applied in the development of the tourism economy, marketing, and advertising.