Chongqing - Liangjiang New Area, a national-level new area in Chongqing, announced 44 cultural tourism investment projects totaling 61.1 billion yuan (USD 8.4 billion) at its recent Cultural Tourism Development Conference.

China's cultural tourism industry is experiencing vigorous growth, driven by its visa-free transit policy, which has led to a significant influx of global visitors. Capitalizing on this momentum, Chongqing has emerged as a world-class viral city, with cultural tourism consumption becoming a powerhouse of economic dynamism.

Li Ziba Station is one of Chongqing’s landmarks and a must-see for global tourists. (Photo/Liu Xiyi)

The investment opportunities span ten categories, including scenic resorts, cultural and tourism leisure blocks, digital culture, sports tourism, major tourism transportation infrastructure, hotels, and homestays. These projects will be primarily developed in key areas, including Longsheng New City, Shuitu New City, Yuelai, the Cuntan-Airport zone, and vibrant urban neighborhoods across Liangjiang New Area.

Liangjiang New Area is China's first national opening-up and development area in inland China. (Photo/Wang Jiaxi)

Longsheng New City dominates the opportunities list with 13 projects worth over 40.2 billion yuan. Longsheng New City boasts an abundance of sports and tourism resources. It is home to Jihua Park, the largest extreme sports center in Southwest China, which attracts 500,000 annual visitors, and the Longxing Football Stadium, the first professional football stadium in Chongqing and one of the largest in China. Longxing Ancient Town and the Liangjiang International Movie City bolster the New Area’s appeal as a cultural and recreational destination.

A flagship initiative is the Mingyue Lake Sports Park, a 180 million yuan project spanning 140,000 square meters. The park will install four standard hockey fields, two indoor volleyball courts, two skateboarding facilities, and a water sports training base. Once operational, it will serve as Chongqing’s hub for training and competition in hockey, volleyball, skateboarding, archery, and canoeing. It will also host athlete training programs and educational activities.

Jihua Park is the largest extreme sports center in Southwest China. (Photo/Lei Yadong)

Shuitu New City released five investment opportunities totaling 2.6 billion yuan. A film and animation cultural park spanning 120,000 square meters aims to set a regional benchmark in film and animation production. It will provide comprehensive services for film crews, support talent development, and offer four key functions: film production, vocational training, studio services, and commercial facilities.

The opportunities released reflect Liangjiang New Area’s primary approaches to fostering the cultural and tourism industry. The Liangjiang New Area High-Quality Cultural Tourism Industry Development Action Plan, which was launched at the conference, positions Liangjiang New Area as Chongqing’s core hub in the integrated development of culture and tourism. The New Area will focus on three domains: cultural tourism integration, digital cultural creativity, and fashion consumption, as well as four industrial clusters, including leisure tourism, online gaming, creative design, and performance events.

The Action Plan sets Liangjiang's 2027 goal, which includes a 50 billion yuan revenue target in the cultural industry and a 150 billion yuan revenue target in the tourism industry, with both industries contributing 5% to the GDP.

Liangjiang New Area currently hosts 138 above-scale cultural enterprises, generating over 37 billion yuan in annual revenue. Three hundred forty-eight above-scale tourism enterprises generate 90 billion yuan annually and receive 4.85 million overnight visitors, including more than 50,000 international tourists.