Quanzhou, a historic coastal city in China’s Fujian Province, experienced a tourism surge during the 2025 Spring Festival, with 10.12 million visits and 10.1 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) in revenue, marking 23.6% and 25.9% year-on-year increases. The city topped Mafengwo’s “2025 Top 10 Hottest Festive Towns” list.
Traditional arts played a key role, with 94 marionette performances drawing 30,000 spectators and 2 million yuan in ticket sales. Over 300 opera shows, including Liyuan and Gaojia Opera, captivated young audiences.
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Meanwhile, cultural intellectual properties (IPs), such as the green snake sculpture at Quanzhou Confucius Temple, drove 1 million yuan in souvenir sales, while local brands like Peak Group contributed creative installations.
Quanzhou’s cultural-tourism integration is boosting economic growth and heritage preservation. The string puppet troupe reinvests earnings, and a modernized 800-year-old local music band now performs globally.
In 2024, the city hosted 100 million tourists, with spending up 20.8% to 121.14 billion yuan ($16.7 billion), strengthening transport, hospitality, and catering industries. Quanzhou’s cultural renaissance is forging a sustainable tourism model, balancing economic expansion with tradition.
Source: Quanzhou City Embraces Cultural Revival, Fueling a Tourism Boom
