On the morning of August 21, the 5th Malanshan Digital Culture Industry Carnival and the 2026 Hunan Culture and Tourism Expo were grandly inaugurated at the Hunan International Convention Center (Mango Hall) in Changsha. Guided by the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and hosted by Hunan Daily Group, the Expo is themed "Digital Integration in Culture and Tourism, Smart Empowerment for Hunan." Covering nearly 30,000 square meters, the event has brought together over 500 exhibiting companies and nearly 200 high-quality tour operators from across the country, showcasing Hunan's latest achievements in the digitalization, integration, and high-quality development of its culture and tourism sectors. Running until August 23, the Expo offers citizens and visitors an immersive feast where technology intertwines with culture and tourism.
Against the backdrop of the deep integration of the digital and real economies, the digital transformation of the culture and tourism industry has become a core engine for driving high-quality development. Highlighting technological innovation, this year's Expo features four dedicated zones: Digital Culture and Tourism Image, Culture and Tourism Integration, Culture and Tourism Consumption, and Thematic Promotion. It has gathered more than 30 leading digital culture and tourism enterprises from both within and outside the province. Industry giants such as China Digital Culture Group, China Broadnet, iFLYTEK, and Hikvision are showcasing cutting-edge technologies and innovative applications. Hunan Rushi Digital Art Culture and Media has made a spectacular debut with its "Fantasy Series" immersive works, including "Dongting Fantasy" and "In Search of Changsha." A comprehensive array of frontier technologies—including AI travel photography, digital cultural heritage, smart scenic spots, glasses-free 3D, and the VR/AR metaverse—allows visitors to experience new scenarios and innovative ways to enjoy smart culture and tourism, profoundly demonstrating the limitless possibilities of technology empowering the sector.
Regional cooperation and cross-provincial exchange are major highlights of this Expo. Cultural and tourism institutions from Liaoning, Ningbo in Zhejiang, Xianning in Hubei, Qiannan in Guizhou, Pingxiang in Jiangxi, and Sichuan have all set up booths, while the Shanghai Representative Office of South Korea's Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province has brought international cultural and tourism exchange resources. Notably, Liaoning Province has brought the cultural and tourism resources of nine cities, including Shenyang and Dalian, to promote in Hunan. Through themed pavilions, cultural and tourism roadshows, and B2B matchmaking for tour operators, Liaoning has deepened north-south cultural and tourism exchanges with a delegation scale that is the largest among all official out-of-province delegations in the Expo's history. During the event, Liaoning and Hunan provinces officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement, committing to continuously promote mutual tourist exchanges, resource sharing, and industrial integration, jointly creating a new model for cross-regional cultural and tourism cooperation.
In boosting the vitality of cultural and tourism consumption, major online travel platforms, mainstream short-video and social media platforms, and nearly 200 travel agencies have converged at the Expo. More than ten financial institutions in Changsha have collectively promoted cultural and tourism financial products, injecting financial vitality into the market. Collaborating with major scenic spots, resorts, and hotels, 40 travel agencies have launched nearly 1,000 exclusive promotional products for the Expo. These cover a wide range of categories, including educational tours, weekend getaways, in-depth tours, and accommodation and ticket packages, allowing the public to fully enjoy the dividends of cultural and tourism consumption and effectively boosting market confidence.
The Expo also profoundly showcases the latest achievements in the diversified integration of the "Culture and Tourism +" model. New business formats such as agritourism, tea tourism, wine tourism, industrial tourism, and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) creative products are on full display. The glasses-free 5D live-action theater performance "River and Sky in Evening Snow" at Orange Isle is presented immersively on-site, making classical poetic culture visible and tangible, and achieving a perfect collision between traditional culture and modern technology. The "Authentic Xiang Flavors" food-themed exhibition highlights authentic Hunan cuisine, further polishing the cultural and tourism brand of Hunan food. Notably, the launch and promotion conference for the "Digital Key Pass + Joint Digital Assets" platform was successfully held. Centered on three major ICH items—Xiang embroidery, Liling underglaze five-color porcelain, and Xilan Kapu (Tujia brocade)—the platform comprehensively demonstrates the entire process of digital rights confirmation and circulation for ICH works. It empowers the living inheritance of ICH through technological means, providing a new path for the protection and commercial exploration of traditional culture.
It is worth mentioning that this Expo is held concurrently and at the same venue as the 5th Malanshan Digital Culture Industry Carnival. Themed "Smart Convergence of Chinese Animation, Digital Creation of the Future," the Carnival features four professional conferences, including the Animation and Game Industry Association Exchange Meeting and the AI Trendy Toy Licensing Industry Matchmaking Conference, as well as exciting competitions like the Starlight Esports Open Challenge and the Mini-Game Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. The event also offers immersive interactive experiences such as cosplay parades, traditional-style situational performances, and on-the-spot 3D commemorative cultural and creative printing, allowing visitors to closely experience the unique charm of digital culture. During the Carnival, 11 innovative digital culture project products from Hunan, Hong Kong, and Macao made their official debut, covering frontier fields such as animation publishing, digital collectibles, AI content production, interactive cinematic games, cultural and creative trendy toys, and ICH creative products, showcasing the vigorous vitality of the digital culture industry in central China.
As one of the largest professional culture and tourism exhibitions in central China in terms of scale, commercial transactions, and innovative industry formats, the continuous hosting of the Hunan Culture and Tourism Expo not only provides a broad platform for showcasing achievements and fostering exchanges and cooperation, but also continues to enrich new offerings for the integration of culture and tourism and cultivate new momentum for the industry. Looking ahead, Hunan will continue to leverage its rich cultural and tourism resources and digital technology advantages to inject strong momentum into the high-quality development of the culture and tourism industry across the province and the country, penning a new chapter of "Digital Integration in Culture and Tourism, Smart Empowerment for Hunan."