The 2025 Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Tourism Festival is set to take place in Quanzhou, Fujian province, from Dec 9 to 15, with the opening ceremony on the evening of Dec 11.

The festival aims to explore Quanzhou's rich Maritime Silk Road and Minnan cultural heritage, fostering a globally shared, participatory cultural and tourism event.

The program is organized into three thematic sections: Vitalizing Intangible Cultural Heritage, Global Harmony, and China-Chic Consumption. It features 11 activities, including the first Fujian Minnan Culture Intangible Cultural Heritage Week, the 8th China Quanzhou International Puppet Festival, and the first Quanzhou Cup World Heritage Cultural and Creative Design Competition.

The festival has four main highlights:

Enhanced international exchange: Inviting representatives from the UN World Tourism Organization, nearly 10 foreign diplomatic envoys to China, around 100 international travel trade professionals, and delegates from over 40 countries and regions.

Engagement of overseas Chinese: More than 50 influential young overseas Chinese will participate, with some appointed as international promotion ambassadors for Quanzhou during the opening ceremony.

Integration of culture and tourism: Initiatives such as resource matchmaking sessions and cooperation signings aim to translate the festival's outcomes into tangible development benefits.

Commitment to public sharing: A market will offer over 1,000 types of cultural, museum, and intangible cultural heritage creative products.

Quanzhou seeks to deepen the exploration of its Maritime Silk Road culture, sharing the unique "Quanzhou story" with a global audience through this event.