As the host city of the third Hunan Tourism Development Conference, Hengyang City has explored the deep integration of culture and tourism, enhanced the popularity of historical and cultural blocks as well as creative cultural blocks, and created a new highland for the cultural tourism industry.

Popular historical and cultural blocks

Hengyang, a major industrial city, has retained many industrial sites through the years which need protection and development.

Jianxiang Diesel Machinery Factory is a pioneer in the reconstruction of these industrial sites. Jianxiang industrial and cultural block, with Jianxiang Diesel Machinery Factory as the cultural core, will be built. Apart from a cultural tourism area, a production area and an exhibition area, online industrial and cultural experience carriers will be built with digital technology.

Protecting traditional blocks and ancient buildings is to preserve the history and culture of a city.

While preserving the street and alley layout, historical relics, historical features and original styles as much as possible, the city government has restored street buildings, improved public supporting facilities and enhanced the environmental quality of the blocks to get prepared for the holding of the third Hunan Tourism Development Conference.

Recently, cultural tourism videos about Shigu District have gone viral on the Internet. Many new cultural tourism integration scenarios like Shigu Academy, North Zhongshan Road and Jinbu Food Street have become well-known.

The renovation project of Shigu Academy and Shigu Square fully utilizes the reputation of Shigu Academy, and upgrades North Xiangjiang Road and North Zhongshan Road adjacent to the academy. Business formats will be adjusted by integrating academy elements in a bid to build a Shigu Academy historical and cultural block, allowing tourists to get an immersive experience of the millennium-old academy.

In addition, South Zhongshan Road will also undergo transformation. The South Zhongshan Road renovation project will build a number of cultural and tourism integration attractions such as a folk cultural corridor, Chuanshan cultural tourism attraction and Daotai yamen (government offices in feudal China). It enriches the cultural tourism industry through interactive and situational modes of characteristic cuisine, traditional costumes and immersive experience of Daotai yamen.

While renovating old streets, the city government also launched quality improvement projects for old residential areas. A brick and wood residential building located at Xianfeng Community was built in the 1960s, and has undergone comprehensive renovation. The long-standing problem of housing safety hazards was solved to create a safer and more comfortable living environment for residents.

Bustling creative cultural blocks

In hot summer, Shifu Road Food Cultural Street, a food paradise, is crowded with tourists.

Shifu Road Food Cultural Street is carrying out colorful cultural tourism activities to attract tourists, improve the service quality and stimulate consumption potential. After quality improvement, the street will become a popular attraction for tourists and citizens.

While strolling in Baoweili cultural creative block, you can feel the unique urban life of locals and experience the exclusive memories of several generations of railway workers in Hengyang City.

After upgrading, Baoweili cultural creative block will become an important attraction that integrates multiple functions like rest, photography and consumption. The project will consist of railway culture themed views, leisure and performing art squares, cultural and creative studios, bookstores, retail stores, and restaurants. It will also introduce 30 high-quality domestic commercial brands, and create a distinctive commercial block based on railway culture, retro alley styles and trendy consumption.

For Hengyang, this summer is full of surprises. In August, key cultural tourism projects like immersive resorts, North Zhongshan Road, and South Zhongshan Road will open to the public. In September, the third Hunan Tourism Development Conference with three main activities and six supporting activities will be held.