On the morning of May 19, in Dongying city – located in East China's Shandong province – a raft of great activities kicked off at the province's sub-venue for this year's China Tourism Day.
The fun gets underway in Dongying, the Shandong sub-venue for China Tourism Day. [Photo/Dazhong News]
The events highlighted the integration there of culture and tourism, aiming to boost the high-quality development of the local tourism industry.
A number of lively and fun tourism happenings stood out, demonstrating Dongying's special appeal through its sports, cultural festivals and film-related tourism.
Dongying was host venue last year of the Pickleball Open – a key event in the international racket sport that is rapidly growing nationally. It's also a filming location for popular TV dramas and as such, Dongying on May 19 invited visitors to relive iconic dramatic scenes while exploring a city that has grown and flourished through its lucrative connection to the oil industry.
A performance celebrates Dongying's TV drama-themed tourism experiences. [Photo/Dazhong News]
Dongying is also accelerating the development of the Yellow River Delta National Park. Signature events such as International Bird-Watching Season and the Sun Tzu Culture Festival — honoring the famed military strategist who was born here — continue to attract domestic and international visitors aplenty.
A young performer dresses in an Oriental white stork costume to plug Dongying's ecological tourism sector. [Photo/Dazhong News]
Shandong's inbound tourism market is on the rise, thanks to the new China visa-free entry policies. In the first quarter of 2025, the province's 16 cities welcomed 283,000 inbound visits, representing an 80.9 percent year-on-year increase.
Leveraging the momentum of China Tourism Day, Dongying is said to be very committed to innovating its tourism offerings and to establishing itself as a premier international destination and a leading tourism city that is rooted in cultural heritage.
