Weihai, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province, saw a notable shift in its May Day holiday tourism this year, with county-level destinations drawing significant visitor traffic away from the downtown core.
On the first day of the holiday, an immersive sunrise event at the Half Moon Bay Beach in Huancui District kicked off, featuring a flower festival, beach concerts, and a parade of the "Twelve Flower Deities". The local tourism group said the event was designed to replace passive sightseeing with interactive, all-day experiences.
County-level attractions rolled out new offerings across the board. In Rongcheng, an upgraded live-action show, "Eastward Quest: Ode to Chengshan", debuted at Chengshantou scenic area. Wendeng District launched its large-scale historical performance, "Dreaming of Qin Dynasty: A Royal Procession in Wendeng", complete with imperial edict readings, ancient music, dance, and martial arts. The Economic and Technological Development Zone introduced a youth study tour series, while Xixiakou Resort hosted interactive experiences.
New products also hit the market. Rongcheng's Jiming Island launched a cliffside swing. Rushan's Silver Beach Ocean Park expanded its leisure offerings, and Duofu Mountain scenic area held a rural folk performance festival. Wendeng brought local intangible cultural heritage items including Lu embroidery, Jiaodong flower-shaped steamed buns aboard the tourist train.
In addition, Torch Hi-tech Science park hosted open-air concerts with local musicians, while Dongpu Bay in the Economic and Technological Development Zone held three consecutive nights of beach parties, all at full capacity.
Rongcheng was spotlighted as a model "county getaway" destination at the 2026 Shandong High-Quality Cultural and Tourism Industry Development Conference in April.
According to the culture and tourism department of Weihai, the surge in county-level tourism has effectively drawn overflow visitors away from the city center, creating a complementary urban-rural tourism pattern.
(Edited by Tian Shenyoujia with Xinhua Silk Road, tianshenyoga0524@163.com)
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