During this year's National Day holiday, Chinese tourists spotted a giant cultural tourism poster for Chenzhou on a street in Seoul, South Korea, sending the topic "Chenzhou sparks wanderlust in South Korea" trending on social media. On October 19, as the morning mist still lingered along the banks of the Xiaodongjiang River in Chenzhou, a South Korean tourist stood on the scenic boardwalk, steadying her mother. She filmed a fisherman casting his net and exclaimed in amazement, "This is a fairyland straight out of an Eastern ink-wash painting."

Chenzhou is transitioning from a "hidden gem" favored by domestic tourists to a destination increasingly appearing on the travel itineraries of international visitors. Data shows that in the first half of the year, the city received 81,400 inbound tourist visits, with inbound group tourists increasing by nearly 100% year on year. In 2025, the total number of inbound tourists exceeded 100,000 for the first time, including 38,000 South Korean visitors.

Broadening the Market Reach: from Focusing on South Korea to Diversifying Tourism Source Markets 

"We've taken the initiative to go out to attract visitors, expanding our network and diversifying overseas tourism source markets," said a spokesperson for the Chenzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, Television, and Sports. This year, the bureau implemented a differentiated marketing strategy of "targeting South Korea, consolidating markets in Hong Kong and Macao, and expanding into Southeast Asia," which has yielded positive results.

South Korea is the "core market" for inbound tourism in Chenzhou. In April this year, Modetour, South Korea's second-largest outbound travel company, visited Chenzhou for an on-site inspection, and six major scenic areas including Dongjiang Lake, Mangshan Mountain, Feitian Mountain, Gaoyiling, and Yangtianhu Grassland signed strategic cooperation agreements with the agency. Subsequently, a Chenzhou cultural tourism delegation traveled to South Korea to participate in the 20th Local Government Exchange Seminar between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the 41st Seoul International Tourism Fair. The delegation's booth featured immersive experiences centered on Danxia landforms, sea of clouds, misty rivers, and hot springs, earning it the "Best Booth Operation Award." Since the beginning of this year, Chenzhou has received more than 100 visits by South Korean travel agents and media representatives and signed multiple framework agreements on cultural and tourism cooperation.

Meanwhile, Southeast Asia is an "emerging market." Chenzhou has seized the opportunity presented by the visa-free arrangements between China and Singapore, as well as between China and Malaysia, to conduct targeted promotional campaigns at international travel fairs in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao. At the Macao event, the city signed strategic agreements with travel agencies from Turkey and Indonesia and reached a preliminary cooperation agreement with Air Cambodia. It also invited Malaysian travel agencies to visit Hunan for on-site inspections and sign cooperation agreements, paving the way for self-driving tours from Southeast Asia to Chenzhou.
 
Getting Visitors to Stay: from "Admiring the Landscape" to "Slowing Down"

Leveraging the brand advantage of being selected as one of the "First Batch of World Famous Tourism Mountains," Mangshan Mountain has upgraded the Tiantai Sky Ladder, Wuzhifeng Space Elevator, and barrier-free walkways to create "a mountain you don't have to climb." This offering precisely addresses South Korean tourists' emotional desire to "show their parents the world," earning it the nickname "the Hermès of filial piety" among South Korean netizens. The Counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China visited Chenzhou twice this year and noted that Mangshan Mountain left the deepest impression on him, changing his long-held belief that mountain scenic areas are "difficult to climb."

As night falls, the lights in the Longnv Hot Spring Block of Chenzhou City come on one by one. A South Korean tourist, who has just wrapped up his day's itinerary, soaks his feet in the warm water and says with a smile to his companion, "I didn't realize Chenzhou isn't just about beautiful landscapes—it's also a lot of fun at night." Nowadays, foot baths, hot springs, night markets, and performances are becoming the reasons for South Korean tourists to "slow down" in Chenzhou. The city has also introduced distinctive dining brands such as Korean diners and Mr. Wu's Gourmet World, and cultivated consumption scenarios such as the Changjuan International Food Street and the Longnv Hot Spring Korean-style Foot Bath Street. As a result, both the overnight stay rate and average spending per customer among South Korean tourists have increased simultaneously.

In response to the cultural customs and consumption needs of tourists from different countries, Chenzhou no longer offers a "one-size-fits-all" approach. For Southeast Asian tourists, the city leverages resources such as Suxianling, Shoufo Temple, Huilong Mountain, and Lianxi Academy to develop root-seeking cultural tours. By capitalizing on more than 1,000 homestays in Guidong and the "World Longevity Village" brand, Chenzhou is transitioning from a summer retreat to a year-round wellness and residential tourism destination. For European and American tourists who prefer outdoor adventures, new attractions such as the Jiulong Water Village in Feitianshan have opened one after another, earning the nickname "a hidden Chinese Amazon" from international visitors.

Improving Travel Experience: Making Foreign Tourists Feel at Home in Chenzhou

Since the beginning of this year, Chenzhou has partnered with vocational colleges and industry associations to jointly organize two training sessions for Korean-speaking tour guides at tourist attractions, with the aim of cultivating a team of tour guides who possess both foreign language skills and a deep understanding of local culture. Currently, all 4A-level and above tourist attractions, star-rated hotels, as well as Chenzhou West Railway Station and Chenzhou Beihu Airport, have fully implemented signage systems in both Chinese and Korean. On October 9, the Chenzhou Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held a consultation meeting on the handling of key proposals for 2026, focusing specifically on the attraction of international tourists—including those from South Korea—and the adaptability of services to their needs.

Payment is an aspect of inbound tourism that is often overlooked but can significantly impact reputation. Chenzhou has optimized its services based on the principle of "credit cards for large amounts, QR codes for small amounts, and cash as a backup." The city has expanded the number of key merchants accepting foreign cards to 364, established 157 bank branches can handle foreign exchange settlement and sales, and 735 ATMs support cash withdrawals with foreign cards. Key hotels such as Wyndham and scenic spots also feature six authorized foreign currency exchange outlets, ensuring that international visitors can make payments with ease and exchange cash nearby.

From "inspiring interest" to "building connections"—if transportation, language, and payment systems address the issues of foreign tourists "being able to get here, understand what they see, and shop with ease," then cultural identity helps satisfy the desire to "be willing to come and eager to come again."

The national flag of South Korea, known as the Taegeukgi, features a taiji symbol. In January this year, a cultural exchange event themed around Zhou Dunyi's "Taiji Diagram" was held at the Guanlan Academy in Zixing. South Korean scholars and tourists came specifically for the event, where an exhibition of "Taiji Diagram" images from throughout history served as a "common language" connecting the cultural memories of China and South Korea. Seizing this opportunity, Chenzhou launched the "Taiji Diagram and the Light of Eastern Civilization" international cultural tourism route, integrating Neo-Confucianism, academies, ecology, and wellness resources to guide South Korean tourists from merely "viewing scenery" to "reading culture."

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

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: Hunan Daily