On August 23, the three-day 5th Malanshan Digital Culture Industry Carnival and the 2026 Hunan Cultural Tourism Industry Expo concluded in Changsha.

Themed "Digital Integration of Culture and Tourism, Intelligent Empowerment in Hunan," this year's expo adopted a dual-exhibition format featuring the "carnival + tourism expo." Covering a total exhibition area of nearly 50,000 square meters, the event attracted 584 exhibitors, with 312 digital culture industrial chain groups jointly creating ten major experience zones. The scale of official delegations from outside Hunan Province reached a new high for the event, with representatives from the culture and tourism departments of 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) nationwide gathering in Changsha, marking record-breaking scale and participation. More than 2,700 professional visitors attended, and the total online and offline participations exceeded 35 million.

People purchase products during the 2026 Hunan Cultural Tourism Industry Expo. (Photo/Xiang Yipeng)

The expo served as a national platform for industrial matchmaking and tourist exchange in China's culture and tourism sector, marking a substantial step forward in cross-regional cooperation. The Greater Zhangjiajie International Tourism Area held a special promotional session to showcase world-class tourism resources in Zhangjiajie, Xiangxi, and Huaihua. The "Mountains and Rivers Meet in Beautiful Hunan" Travel Agency Conference invited institutions and representatives from core source markets such as Beijing, Shanghai, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guizhou, and Guangxi. During the expo, a special liaison and negotiation meeting for travel agencies from Liaoning and Hunan was held, resulting in the signing of strategic cooperation agreements on culture and tourism. Participating companies also reached preliminary cooperation agreements in areas such as itinerary development, product procurement, joint channel development, and technological collaboration.

The concentrated display of digital innovations was a major highlight of the expo. More than 30 digital cultural tourism enterprises, including China Digital Culture Group, showcased solutions for diverse scenarios, including digital cultural heritage, smart scenic areas, and immersive experiences. A Hunan-based enterprise presented seven immersive works from its "Illusion Series," including "Dongting Illusion," "Seeking Changsha," and "Bamboo Sea Illusion," allowing visitors to experience cutting-edge digital technologies such as naked-eye 3D, AI metaverse, and VR/AR up close.

At the expo, the "ShuYaoTong + Joint Digital Assets" platform was unveiled, building a complete service chain system integrating "rights confirmation, circulation, industrial revitalization, and cultural globalization."

The Malanshan Digital Culture Industry Carnival also yielded fruitful results. Twenty-three high-quality original digital culture works were released on-site, including immersive theaters, animation, AI-powered film and television series, games, and digital technology platforms.  A total of 98 debut projects were promoted, with 11 of them delivering live roadshows. Signing ceremonies were held for animation and game projects between Hunan and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while matchmaking sessions were conducted with distributors from 15 countries and regions, including Pakistan, Canada, France, and Russia.

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

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Chinanews