“We’ve added several new tour groups for the ‘March 3rd’ festival in Jingning, and in May, we’ll welcome a high-speed rail tour group of over 600 people.” Yesterday, Zhou Guangjun, deputy general manager and union chairman of the Lishui Tourism Distribution Center, happily shared the results of the recent promotional event with reporters. From March 19 to 21, the “An Invitation to Neighbors” 2025 Lishui Culture and Tourism Promotion Tour was held successively in Wenzhou, Taizhou, and Jinhua. Through policy announcements, product showcases, and agreement signings, the event deepened regional cultural and tourism cooperation, fostering a new development landscape.

Lishui boasts unparalleled ecological and cultural resources, hailed by China National Geographic as the “Last Secret Land of Jiangnan”. Lishui City is home to two 5A-level scenic spots (Jinyun Xiandu and Yunhe Terraces), 25 4A-level or above scenic areas, and five provincial-level tourist resorts. It gathers 576 high-quality tourism resources, along with seven world-class heritage sites, 268 traditional Chinese villages, and 121 intangible cultural heritage treasures (including 21 national-level items), painting a picturesque cultural and tourism scene of “serene landscapes and pastoral poetry”. In recent years, Lishui has pioneered high-quality tourism development with innovative approaches, continuously refreshing cross-border experiences, upgrading hit IPs, and linking brand projects into cohesive chains.

At this promotion event, Lishui not only showcased renowned attractions like Jinyun Xiandu, Yunhe Terraces, and Liandu District’s Ancient Weir Painting Village, but also highlighted new tourism products including: the Millions of Fireflies Night Tour at Liandu Jiulong Wetland, the Seven Towers Song Dynasty Light Show, Longquan’s Wangou·Taoxichuan Sword and Porcelain Cultural Experience, Qingtian’s European-style Journey, Yunhe’s Cloud Leisure Family Tour, Baishanzu Forest Oxygen Bar Sports, Suichang’s Underground World Exploration, and Songyang’s Ancient Village Healing Retreat. Of particular note is the She Ethnic Minority’s “March 3rd” festival series launching on March 28 in Jingning, where the main venue will feature phoenix costume parades, folk song duets, black sticky rice experiences and other ethnic customs, while surrounding counties will jointly present intangible cultural heritage markets and folk performances.

At the event, Lishui’s tourism ambassadors introduced spring travel highlights from ecological, cultural, and culinary perspectives. Representatives from all nine counties (cities, districts) took the stage to showcase their unique resources, while renowned travel influencers shared their “hidden gem” Lishui itineraries.

The promotion also unveiled Lishui’s latest tourism incentives for 2025, including a dual “Attract Visitors to Lishui” and “Diverse Promotion” fund totaling millions, offering rewards to qualifying travel agencies, event organizers, and new media promoters.

With national visa-free policies expanding in recent years, international travel to Zhejiang has surged. Jinhua Yiwu International Airport, a key visa-free entry hub in Zhejiang, presents new opportunities for inbound tourism in Lishui and neighboring cities. In 2025, Lishui Airport will commence operations, further facilitating international travel. During the event, four foreign friends—including executives, travel influencers, and international students—were appointed as “Lishui Inbound Tourism Global Ambassadors.” Moving forward, they will collaborate with Lishui’s cultural tourism department to showcase the soul-stirring poetic charm of this “Jiangnan paradise” to global audiences through internationally accessible narratives on social media platforms.

The promotion also featured business matchmaking, with Lishui signing mutual tourist exchange agreements with the three cities. Targeted invitations were extended to universities and labor unions to explore collaborations in employee wellness retreats, study tours, and educational training, broadening market prospects.

“Wenzhou, Taizhou, and Jinhua are key markets for Lishui tourism. The new products and formats introduced here have generated great interest among local travel agencies,” said Ye Xinxin, president of the Lishui Travel Agencies Association. “After the promotion, Lishui and the three places will further increase the exchange of tourists, next, there will be more and more tourists to Lishui tourism.”

“The incentives are strong, the new formats are refreshing, and every county has its unique appeal—this promotion is highly attractive to us. We’re confident in recommending Lishui to more travelers,” said Chen Jianguo, president of the Jinhua Travel Agencies Association, noting that Lishui remains a top choice for Jinhua residents, offering fresh experiences with every visit.