Chongqing—Chongqing reported major gains in culture and tourism during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, positioning the sector as a pillar of the city’s modernization.

"From January to August this year, the number of inbound tourists visiting our city increased by 82.48% year-on-year, maintaining a leading growth rate nationwide," said Xing Jun, first-level inspector of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, at the press conference held on September 16.

Chongqing deepened international ties, joining 12 global culture and tourism organizations, signing cooperation agreements with 10 countries, including Singapore, and becoming the first Chinese city to offer streamlined online port visa services for inbound travelers. By 2024, inbound tourism had doubled compared with 2019.

These international achievements are part of broader efforts to enhance Chongqing's cultural and tourism offerings.

The briefing was the fifth in a series on "High-Quality Completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan and Writing a Chapter of Chinese Modernization in Chongqing." Officials from the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism highlighted achievements in innovation, consumption, industry growth, cultural services, and heritage preservation.

Chongqing leveraged its unique mega-city landscape, rich cultural and tourism resources, and role as a transportation hub to advance the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor. New tourism “golden cards” emerged around the metropolitan area, the Three Gorges, and the Wuling Mountains.

Red, urban, ecological, and rural tourism flourished, with new attractions such as the Yangtze River Cableway, two-river cruises, mountain trails, and skyline experiences. The number of A-level scenic areas rose from 209 to 323, tourism resorts increased from 22 to 32, and 30 new leisure blocks were created.

In Wulong’s Jingzhu Village, rural tourism lifted more than half the villagers into tourism-related jobs, boosting incomes by over 10,000 yuan per person. The village was named one of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s “Best Tourism Villages.”

Jingzhu Village, Wulong. (Photo/Wulong Culture and Tourism)

Cultural tourism consumption also expanded. The city launched the “Chongqing Culture and Tourism Benefiting Consumption Season,” developed the “360 Bowls of Chongqing Flavors” culinary brand, and opened 238 food streets and restaurants. Six districts, including Yuzhong and Nan’an, were named national demonstration and pilot zones for culture and tourism consumption, while 15 areas, such as Jiefangbei–Hongyadong, became national-level night economy hubs.

In 2024 alone, cultural industries generated 145.27 billion yuan in added value, with an annual growth rate of 10.6 percent. Tourism added 140.13 billion yuan, growing 9.3 percent annually. The city registered 60,000 new market entities in culture and tourism, bringing the total to more than 200,000.

Splendid Chongqing Mountain Night. (Photo/ Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism)

Authorities built over 15,000 new public cultural spaces and 91 “15-minute quality cultural life circles.” Public cultural facilities reached 873 square meters per 10,000 residents.

Public satisfaction with cultural services ranked among the highest in China. Museums, galleries, libraries, and cultural centers hosted more than 80 million visits per year, averaging 134 events daily citywide. A reading “all-in-one card” allowed residents to borrow and return books across 174 libraries in Chongqing and Sichuan.

Chongqing produced over 200 new stages and artworks annually, winning 68 national awards. The Sichuan opera "Sister Jiang" won the prestigious Wenhua Award, China’s top government honor for performing arts. The city ranked first in western China and third nationwide in awards and entries at the 14th National Art Exhibition.

Chongqing carried out 870 cultural relic protection projects. The city now records 26,000 immovable and 1.482 million movable relics, with a preservation rate of 91 percent for protected sites above the municipal level. 

Intangible cultural heritage also thrived. Chongqing established the Wuling Mountain Tujia and Miao National Cultural Ecological Protection Zone and expanded training for inheritors. The city now boasts 53 national-level intangible cultural heritage items and 74 inheritors, representing 20.5% and 25.4% growth rates, respectively.

The city rolled out the new brand slogan “Magestic Landscapes, dynamic Chongqing. " It hosted the Yangtze Three Gorges International Tourism Festival and the Chongqing sub-venue of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala.

Market oversight was also modernized through apps such as “Travel Chongqing” and mechanisms to manage scenic site congestion. The city ranked first among China’s “Top 20 Most Charming Tourist Cities” in a national satisfaction survey.

Chongqing said it will continue advancing cultural-tourism integration, high-quality supply, and world-class experiences, while accelerating construction of the Bashu Cultural Tourism Corridor. The city pledged to further strengthen its status as a leading culture and tourism hub and to contribute to the broader goal of Chinese modernization.