As a flagship aviation cultural tourism IP independently developed by the Hunan Airport Management Group, this project has earned widespread acclaim. To date, nearly 300 performances and five large-scale themed special sessions have been held, attracting over five million visitor engagements on site and more than 10 million views online. It has received the Civil Aviation Cultural Tourism Integration Marketing Innovation Award. From the landscape and folk customs exhibition in summer travel season and the National Day symphony concert in 2025, to the Spring Festival intangible cultural heritage show and the ethnic music concert in 2026, the event has consistently innovated its content and format, becoming a model for cultural tourism integration at aviation hubs and polishing the "Welcome to Charming Hunan" cultural tourism brand.

Hunan Specialties "Fly" to the World

Inside the airport terminal, passengers can explore Hunan's natural landscapes and splendid cultures, while enjoying convenient travels via the air route network spanning the globe. Leveraging the aviation traffic, the Hunan Airport Management Group has built an operational system featuring "short-term pop-up bazaars + long-term livestream empowerment." It has tapped into each city and prefecture's local delicacies, agricultural specialty products, and intangible cultural heritage crafts, bringing local treasures hidden in county-town streets and alleys to the national stage.

In the Yueyang-themed opening week, a special livestream featuring "new farmers" is being held in partnership with Yanglin Town. The event promotes rural revitalization achievements and local specialty agricultural products through the airport setting, empowering county-level economies with airport passenger traffic. Yueyang's specialty agricultural products, cultural and creative goods, and intangible cultural heritage items are on display. In the subsequent sessions, Changsha, Chenzhou, Changde, Yiyang, Shaoyang, and other cities and prefecture will take the stage one after another, accelerating the formation of a normalized operational model defined by "weekly themes, periodical highlights, and city-specific features." Arriving passengers can explore Hunan's diverse regional cultures without leaving the terminal, while departing travelers can take authentic local souvenirs home together with their Hunan memory. This initiative turns fragmented waiting time into a distinctive cultural tourism consumption experience, continuously boosting the airport's consumer vitality.

Travel Light and Explore Anytime

During the summer travel rush, airport services have been upgraded accordingly. Since July 1, Changsha Airport has officially launched the "fly via Changsha with free door-to-door luggage delivery" service. Travelers can book the service through scanning a QR code, or checking in at service counters, with delivery covering the five main districts—Furong, Tianxin, Yuelu, Yuhua, and Kaifu. Residences, hotels, scenic spots, commercial areas, and transportation hubs are reachable, which caters to both leisure and business travelers. Service counters are also available at the Wanjiali International Shopping Plaza, the Wuyi Square Metro Station, and the Changsha South High-speed Railway Station Air-rail Intermodal Transport Center. Passengers may check their luggage in advance downtown and explore the city hands-free. Each passenger is allowed to check up to three pieces of compliant luggage for free, with a weight limit of 20 kg per piece and a maximum size of 32 inches, catering to family travel during the summer peak.

Capacity support has been further bolstered. Xinjiang-bound tourist routes reach 11 destinations within the region, with flight frequency up 50% year on year. The Changsha–Beijing route offers up to 35 flights daily, providing "bus-like" access around the clock. International routes to Southeast Asia are scheduled for 180 weekly flights, increasing by 22% over the previous year. Popular routes to grasslands, coastal areas, and the northwest and southwest China are well covered, guaranteeing ample capacity for the summer travel surge.

From scene-driven breakthroughs to local specialty promotions, from rural revitalization to community-benefiting services, the Hunan Airport Management Group uses its "Weekly City Shows" program as a bridge to transform the terminal into an "aerial salon" showcasing Huxiang culture. This initiative turns every takeoff into a cultural journey and every arrival into a lasting Hunan memory. Going forward, the Group will continue to strengthen its core aviation-culture-tourism integrated IP, steadily advance the development of a people-centered airport, and present a warm, high-quality Hunan airport brand to the world.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: Voice of Hunan