By Xinhua Writer Bai Xu
CHAOYANG, Liaoning Province, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- When I was a little girl, I often visited my uncle in Chaoyang, a city in northeast China's Liaoning Province. But each time I mentioned it to my classmates, they would inevitably ask, "You mean the district in eastern Beijing?"
They couldn't be blamed. Chaoyang back then was an obscure, quiet industrial city that wouldn't ring a bell even if you happened to travel past it.
But today, you can see this slogan everywhere in the city: "Dunhuang in the west, Chaoyang in the east."
Admittedly, Chaoyang cannot yet compare with Dunhuang, a key hub on the ancient Silk Road in northwest China's Gansu Province and a magnet for Chinese culture enthusiasts. But it is clear that the city is now drawing an increasing number of visitors eager to explore its rich cultural heritage.
Take the Spring Festival, May Day holiday and Dragon Boat Festival this year as example. The numbers of visitors the city received on these three occasions grew by 16.05, 15.48 and 13.11 percent year-on-year, respectively.
Chaoyang hosted the 2026 Conference on Hongshan Culture on August 5 and 6, when I had the chance to visit the city once again.
I remember Chaoyang before 2000 as a small, bleak city tucked away in the mountains, with just a few main roads, old bungalows, and low buildings huddled beside the Daling River. I used to travel to the city by train, a 12-hour journey chugging all the way from Beijing. Visitors were rare, and the buses stopped running early in the evening.
But this time, I saw a sprawling, scenic city. The river now runs clear and meandering, its banks lined with greenery and walking paths. People live in neat, modern communities, yet the historic quarters have been carefully preserved. A plaque on one historic street was inscribed by the renowned martial arts novelist Louis Cha Leung-yung, more widely known by his pen name Jin Yong -- in his book, a character dreams of restoring a lost kingdom, one with Chaoyang as its capital.
I've always known that Chaoyang has two districts: Longcheng, which means "Dragon City," and Shuangta, meaning "Twin Pagodas."
Today, the jade pig-dragon has become a symbol of the city. The twin pagodas, one of them dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and standing as the oldest surviving Buddhist pagoda in northeastern China, now draw visitors from across the country.
The Niuheliang site in Chaoyang, which was discovered in 1981, represents a milestone in the study of China's Hongshan culture, a Neolithic civilization dating back roughly 5,000 to 6,000 years. Located more than 100 kilometers from the city center, it is becoming increasingly popular, especially among young people drawn to niche attractions.
Yang Lei, a tour guide who has worked at the Niuheliang National Archaeological Site Park for 11 years, has felt this shift keenly. "In the past, I used to give two or three tours a day, but now I usually do four or five," she said. "More international visitors are coming, from the Republic of Korea, Britain, and elsewhere. They ask questions curiously about the Hongshan culture."
In recent years, China has intensified efforts to promote its culture.
At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in 2023, the cheerful yellow mascot Congcong took its name from Yucong, a jade tube used in ancient rituals and a hallmark of the Liangzhu culture.
North China's Shanxi Province, which was dubbed as an "above-ground cultural relics museum," has consistently capitalized on cultural and entertainment hits like the latest animation "All Wishes Come True" to showcase its treasure.
As cultural confidence continues to grow among the Chinese people, transportation infrastructure has also seen remarkable improvements over the years. Today, the fastest train from Beijing to Chaoyang takes less than 100 minutes, while the drive takes only about five hours.
As a result, a growing number of travelers are setting out on journeys to immerse themselves in the diverse cultures found across the nation.
Tong Fei, 50, saw an opportunity in tourism four years ago, when she began making incense pendants shaped like Hongshan cultural icons such as the jade pig-dragon and the Hongshan Goddess head. In her store, visitors can try their hand at crafting their own under her guidance.
A Chaoyang local, she had never heard of the Hongshan culture until she saw the jade pig-dragon one day while learning carving. "It was so beautiful, and I came to realize how profound our culture is," she said.
Similarly, 39-year-old Liu Kaiyu, who works in Beijing's new media sector, only recently discovered the richness of his hometown's culture. In 2025, he decided to establish a company in Chaoyang dedicated to creative cultural products.
His store, Chaoyang Gift, now offers a diverse array of items: postcards, bags, notebooks and magnets featuring the city's ancient architecture, Hongshan cultural icons and fossils. Chaoyang is also renowned for its abundant fossil resources.
Fueled by the tourism boom, demand for his products has soared. Within a year, orders from outside the city doubled. He has since opened 21 outlets in tourist attractions and railway stations, and this year, he has set his sights on an ambitious new venture: launching his first culture-themed homestay.
Like Liu and Tong, many locals have benefited from the growing appetite for such souvenirs. In the first half of this year, key museums, libraries, scenic spots and cultural tourism groups unveiled more than 500 new creative cultural products, partnering with nearly 30 enterprises. Total sales reached 5.35 million yuan (about 792,600 U.S. dollars), doubling the figure from the same period last year.
At the same time, tourism has brought noticeable changes to the city's environment.
My friend Ma Lie, a 46-year-old native, has witnessed this transformation firsthand. "Each year, flocks of swans come here to winter," she said. "You can really feel the ecosystem steadily improving."
She also noted that the rise in tourism has raised Chaoyang's profile, which in turn helps attract investment.
"I am so proud of my city," she said. And I feel the same way. I love sharing my connection with this place -- now I no longer have to explain that it's not the district in eastern Beijing.
During my interviews over the past few days, I was particularly struck by the warmth of the people here. Tong offered me her incense bracelet as a gift, and Liu insisted I take a couple of fridge magnets.
"Please show them to others," he said. "They are quite cheap, but there's information about Chaoyang on the packaging. As a local, I feel it's my duty to help more people discover and fall in love with my city." ■
