China Focus: Heartbeat chronicles: travels that left their mark

by Xinhua writer Wang Aihua

BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- An immersive odyssey into the boundless world of Taoist philosophy, few experiences are more soul-soothing than a ticket to the live show at Mount Longhu, or Dragon and Tiger Mountain, in central China, a cradle of Taoist wisdom.

Set against a typical Danxia landform characterized by cliffy scarp and red terrestrial rocks, the show allows audiences to feel the philosophical connotation of "Tao gives birth to all things" as they meander along a two-kilometer sightseeing route, from land to the boats on the local Luxi River, transcending mere landscape and evolving into a source of "emotional solutions."

Beyond the show, into the homestays scattered in the mountains, tourists can also engage in morning scripture chanting sessions, savor Taoist health-preserving meals, and learn to make traditional sachets.

Liu Jun, who runs a homestay there, said it is not simply accommodation that they offer. "Instead, we present the charm of Taoist culture, and a chance to delve into it."

A subtle yet profound transformation is quietly reshaping China's cultural and tourism industry, shifting its focus from mere resources to holistic wellness -- physical, mental and emotional -- aligning with an irresistible trend of sector-wide upgrading.

Traditional scenic spot tours are gradually giving way to emerging travel modalities, catalyzing an industry-wide upgrade centered around emotional connections and value co-creation, and often associated with strong cultural features, thereby setting off a wave of sentiment-fueled cultural tourism.

A media survey shows that 30 percent of Chinese tourists regard emotional fulfillment as the highlight of their trips, followed by experiencing unique cultural atmospheres and sampling local specialty cuisines.

Chen Changfeng, a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, believes that emotion-driven cultural tourism is capable of crafting indelible memories by fostering cultural resonance and emotional engagement, turning one-time visitors into lifelong "scenic-spot aficionados."

Chen cited the Palace Museum's endeavor to strengthen tourist loyalty by leveraging cultural and creative products alongside immersive exhibitions, encouraging visitors to create short videos, participate in exhibition design, and become active explorers and storytellers of the museum's narratives.

Influencer "Dan Mai Mi Ge" shared a video on Chinese social media platform Weibo of her family's visit to the Palace Museum, each dressed in ancient imperial court attire and playfully stepping into the roles of imperial figures.

"The real happiness isn't the stunning views along the way, but seeing the people we love most gradually find their own joy," she wrote in the video caption, referring to how her mother had rekindled her romance with her partner during their journey to Beijing, following an earlier visit to Shanghai.

According to Wang Mengyun, a travel influencer, those who can pinpoint users' emotional needs and offer corresponding healing experiences will take the lead in what can be dubbed the "spiritual economy" sector.

Faced with psychological burdens and intricate dilemmas in the chaos of modern life, Chinese wayfarers are quietly trading frantic sightseeing for serenity.

In doing so, they have sown the seeds of a minimalist travel trend, one that finds its essence in the simple yet profound pleasures of "eating," "sleeping," or "drinking tea," -- traits that can find their roots in the legacies of ancient Chinese, Greeks and Romans in seeking the healing power of nature and rituals.

In 2023, online searches for "stress-relief travel" skyrocketed over three times from a year earlier. From forest bathing retreats to silent meditation cruises, the trillion-dollar "healing economy" is redefining how people here escape.

Buddhist Putuo Mountain in coastal Zhejiang Province sells out its 2,000-yuan (about 285 U.S. dollars) "Zen retreat" packages within minutes; Pu'er City in Yunnan, southwest China, has seen bookings for its tea-focused "healing journey" quintuple; and the world's first five-star hotel built into a crater on the outskirts of Shanghai boasts 90 percent occupancy for its "sleep therapy rooms," complete with smart mattresses and soothing soundscapes.

Just ahead of the New Year holiday, Yang Sijia, a resident of Changsha in central China, booked a suburban B&B for herself and friends, offering fire-pit tea-brewing experiences and open-air lawns for live music performances.

"Surrounded by lakes and mountains, welcoming the New Year with tea aroma and live music!! This warm, immersive experience is exactly what we wanted," Yang said.

Zhong Xiaomin, a tourism official in Shanghai, noted that tourists' desire for emotional fulfillment places greater demands on urban public services, making it essential for governments to cultivate a well-coordinated and mutually reinforcing market ecosystem.

In frigid northeast China, ice-and-snow destinations are transforming into winter wonderlands by weaving local folklore into stays, curating themed accommodations, and offering immersive snow activities, all designed to create unforgettable New Year experiences.

Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy, proposed that regions and industries should make infrastructure and public services more comprehensive, efficient, and accessible, to better meet people's aspirations.

While underscoring sustained innovation to create newer, more distinctive and deeply engaging consumer experiences, experts have warned against fraud and over-pricing in the name of wellness or spiritual tourism.

They attribute such issues to gaps in industry supervision, a lack of standardized product evaluation criteria, and limited consumer discernment.

"Emotions cannot be quantified, which makes consumers susceptible to deceptive practices of unscrupulous businesses," said Zhang Sining, a researcher with the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences.

Laws, regulations and industry standards should be strengthened, supervision enhanced, a robust industry credit evaluation system established, and knowledge of mental health and wellness made widely accessible to consumers, according to the experts. ■