Photo: Courtesy of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Xinzhou City

A total of 12 Chinese cities were selected as the most promising for culture and tourism at a forum in Xinzhou, North China's Shanxi Province on July 3, 2024.

The 12 cities are Zigong, Weihai, Xinzhou, Chongzuo, Yichang, Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Qinhuangdao, Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, Meizhou, Jiangmen, Xining and Qiqihar.

The cities were selected by the the think tank Liaowang Institute, run by the Xinhua News Agency, and the Institute for Contemporary China Studies at Tsinghua University. 

Photo: Courtesy of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Xinzhou City

The report is based on data collection, surveys, field research, and strategic planning. Over six months, the research group selected 199 cities across the country with populations ranging from 1 million to 5 million. Through comparative studies, they created the first specialized report on the potential development of culture and tourism cities. This comprehensive examination of urban culture and tourism potential reveals the developmental trends in a city's cultural vitality. 

"Compared to the leading culture and tourism cities, we believe that the development prospects for medium-sized culture and tourism cities are more worthy of attention," said Guo Bensheng, secretary of the Party committee and editor-in-chief of Outlook Weekly.