On November 26, the 15th China Chongqing Three Gorges (Wushan) International Red Leaf Festival kicked off in Wushan County. It was also announced that the Longgupo site would apply for the World Culture Heritage.

With the theme of "Wushan Mountain Covered by Red Leaves Again," the evening gala has displayed the unique charm of Wushan covered by red leaves in a poetic, distinctive, and narrative manner, taking the live scene performance with "Two Rivers and Four Riversides" as the stage background. 

Locals and tourists, spectators and performers, and onsite and online audiences spoke highly of the opening ceremony.

"This year's evening gala is amazing. The performances are very innovative, especially a dance on folk customs, which is quite fascinating. I hope the festival will become more successful in the future," said a local resident Dong Jin.

Faster development of Wushan County

Like a poem writes, "The mountain goddess if she is still there will marvel at a world so changed." Many tourists who revisit Wushan County after years are surprised at rapid local development. Over the past years, Wushan has become more beautiful and international, narrowing the gap with big cities.

"I ever visited Wushan as a child. But now great changes have taken place, and its night scenery is very beautiful," said a tourist called Yang Chenxing. Living in the city proper of Chongqing, he likes visiting fast-developing Wushan County to relax with beautiful local scenery.

"Wushan County has really changed a lot. Now, there are airports, highways, 'Golden Waterway,' and to-be-opened high-speed railway. As a Wushan local, I feel very much proud," said Wushan resident Lu Chengxin.

In the eyes of many locals, the festival is a big event that Wushan County holds every year, which can effectively combine culture and tourism to promote Wushan and let more people know the infinite charm of its mountain and river scenery.

As a culture and tourism brand of Wushan with increasingly stronger influence, the festival has been held for fifteen years in a row. Each session is dedicated to exploring and showcasing the county's characteristics of the specific periods. This year's festival is not only a celebration of tourism but also an epitome of Wushan's spirit.

Immersive Experience with the "Light of Three Gorges"

Following the opening of the 15th China Chongqing Three Gorges (Wushan) International Red Leaf Festival, the "Light of Three Gorges," a large situational Yangtze River night tour project, made its debut. The first performance project combines culture and technology with the beautiful night urban view along the Yangtze River. By virtue of immersive night tour experiences, it helps Wushan improve tourism quality and change from a transit place to a tourist destination.

With a total length of twelve kilometers, the night tour project consists of two parts, the creative light show of the "Two Rivers and Four Riversides" and the fantastic night tour of Longmen Gorge. Starting from Ningjiang Ferry, the cruise ship passes by the Goddess Avenue, makes a turn at the Muyu Park, continues along Nanling Ancient Road and Longjiang New Area, passes by Longmen Bridge, arrives at the projective point of the cliff wall on the water to watch the shadow show, and returns to Ningjiang Ferry.

Notably, the creative light show of the "Two Rivers and Four Riversides" covers the three sub-areas of Gaotang, Nanling, and Longjiang and the two sides of the Yangtze River and the Daning Lake. The fantastic night tour of Longmen Gorge includes seven chapters of Sailing into the Picturesque Scenery, Clouds and Rain in Wushan Mountain, Thousand-years-old Poetry Culture, Rich History of Ningjiang, Colorful Jiangdong, Gorgeous Goddess Peak, and Beautiful Wushan.

Compared with traditional cruise projects, the "Light of Three Gorges" takes cruise ship as the carrier, integrates leading light and shadow technology and other aspects to bring a more multifaceted experience by combining forms with connotations. Tourists can appreciate opera, singing, and dancing art inside the cruise ship and watch ample light and shadow performances by the river, thus enjoying the new immersive culture and tourism experiences that combine culture, technology, and amusement.