Chongqing -  The 17th Yangtze International Red Leaf Festival was launched in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on November 18, with spectacular mountain and river scenery now ablaze in seasonal colors. 

The event held in Chongqing's Wushan County also hosted the awards ceremony for the 2023 China Village Song Contest finals, which were themed on harmony and harvests to promote the achievements of rural revitalization and instill confidence in their ongoing development. 

More than ten boutique travel routes are being promoted this winter season, which presents tourists with optimal viewing experiences of red leaves, including the Lesser Three Gorges, Wu Gorge, Dachang Ancient Town, Goddess Peak, and the remarkable Sky Road located in Xiazhuang Village, while themed activities such as the Roast Fish Banquet and Three Gorges International Cross-Country Race whet appetites further.

The red leaves of Wushan come in around 200 different varieties, with prominent examples being the cotinus coggygria, the Chinese tallow tree (sapium sebiferum), and the flaming maple. These cover a total land area of over 7 million acres in Wushan County, with 32,000 acres in prime viewing locations. Each year, the leaves begin turning red in mid-October, and the viewing season usually lasts for around three months.

This year’s Red Leaf Festival opening event also featured an awards ceremony for the 2023 China Village Song Contest, where 14 teams of song and dance performers from 12 provinces nationwide received first, second, and third-place winners’ prizes. 

In addition, Secretary Mao Xianglin received a special contribution award on behalf of Xiazhuang Village in Zhuxian Township, where villagers under his leadership carved out the famed “Sky Road” over seven years, a feat that ultimately connected their village with civilization, leading to a new future of prosperity.

First place winners in the Contest were Dagaowu Village from Guizhou for their song, Reunion, and Qingfang Village from Zhejiang, who performed “Urban Village” to the delight of live audiences in Wushan and online. Additionally, performance teams from Chongqing representing Zhushan Village of Zhongxian County and Qingfeng Village in Changshou District achieved third-place awards.

Prospective visitors and netizens can enjoy dynamic and immersive VR presentations for multiple routes and find more information on related consumer events through the county’s official WeChat mini-application, “Changyou Wushan.”