Nowadays, the thousand-year-old Grand Canal, with its historical charm restored, is opening up more possibilities for cultural exchange among Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.

In Beijing, over the past decade, there have been annual new changes along the Grand Canal. The Central Green Forest Park in Beijing welcomes visitors, three major cultural buildings in Beijing's urban sub-center are beautifully showcased, and the Beijing (Tongzhou) Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Area has become the first national 5A-level tourist attraction in the eastern region of Beijing... All these additions have provided cultural and leisure venues for the people of Beijing, Hebei, and Tianjin.

The coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei includes the protection, inheritance, and utilization of the Grand Canal culture, which is one of the important components. With a joint effort among the three regions, measures such as ecological governance of the canal, promotion of tourism navigation, and restoration of cultural relics are being undertaken, enhancing the cultural driving force for coordinated development and revitalizing the natural and cultural landscapes along the canal banks.

The curtain rises on the “Cultural Granary”, the “Forest Library”emanates fragrance, and the “Canal Boat”sets sail. Recently, the unveiled three major cultural buildings have become popular attractions for tourists in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. According to data released by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, during the Spring Festival holiday, the Beijing Art Center, Beijing Library, and Beijing Grand Canal Museum received a total of 259,000 visitors.

"The three major cultural buildings are very well-designed and artistic, making people immersed in them," said a citizen named Zhenzhen. Among the three buildings, the one most cherished by Zhenzhen is the Beijing Grand Canal Museum. For her, the sailing boats and the adjacent Grand Canal give the museum a unique character. "I hope the museum will launch exhibitions that integrate the cultures of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei in the future."

This wish will soon come true. In the disclosed opening plan, the Beijing Grand Canal Museum will host a special exhibition on the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei. Additionally, there will be joint exhibitions showcasing cultural relics and intangible cultural heritage from the three regions.

"The 'Hollywood Park' transforms into a 'Chinese New Year Town'!" During the Lunar New Year holiday in the Year of the Dragon, at the Beijing Universal Resort, Kung Fu Panda—Po dons the costume of "Dragon Warrior," while the Minions Park is adorned with large-eyed lanterns and banana-themed couplets. Tourists from various places visit the park to capture various "festive limited edition" installations, make wishes under the New Year wishing tree, and pray alongside celebrity characters.

The Universal Resort in Beijing is the fifth universal theme park in the world and the third in Asia. It opened on September 20, 2021. Data shows that in 2023, the commercial area of the Universal Resort received approximately 16 million visitors, and the Universal City Avenue was selected as a national-level nighttime cultural and tourism consumption gathering area. Today, it has become a new landmark for cultural tourism in the urban sub-center of Beijing.

Over the past decade, the cultural and tourism departments of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei have worked hand in hand, forming a pattern of "collaborative management, complementary advantages, shared image-building, and shared customer resources." Especially in recent years, people from the three regions have embraced a new choice of "visiting each other's cities for leisure."

During the Spring Festival holiday, Mr. Lu, a resident of Beijing, drove to Hebei and Tianjin for tourism, experiencing the urban scenery and distinctive local cuisines. The most impressive places for him were the Chengde Museum and the historical and cultural district of Jiefang North Road in Tianjin.

"Tianjin and Hebei are close to Beijing, with rich historical and cultural heritage and beautiful natural scenery. There are plenty of destinations to choose from, and I prefer to visit these two places," he said.

According to the big data passenger flow monitoring by the China Tourism Academy (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism), in 2023, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has become important and popular tourist sources for each other. Hebei and Tianjin ranked among the top two tourist sources for Beijing, while Hebei and Beijing were among the top two sources for tourists received in Tianjin.

Two years ago, China presented an "unparalleled Winter Olympics" to the world. In the "post-Winter Olympics" era, the enthusiasm for ice and snow tourism in Beijing and Hebei remains undiminished. The Beijing-Zhangjiakou Ice and Snow Cultural Tourism Season, launched in December last year, continued throughout the winter season. Through urban linkage, it gathered various skiing activities, snow-themed parks, and festive events along the Beijing-Zhangjiakou route, enriching the supply of ice and snow cultural tourism.

"Since the Beijing Winter Olympics, I have clearly felt the increased enthusiasm for winter sports among my friends and family," says Wang Yijiao, a Beijing resident and skiing enthusiast. This year, she has left her mark at multiple ski resorts.

Data shows that in Chongli District, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province, which boasts 8 ski resorts, over a million visitors have been received in less than two months since the start of the snow season in November last year. In the Yanqing Olympic Park in Beijing, since the launch of the "free entry" series of promotional measures on December 18, 2023, the park has received approximately 142,200 visitors by the end of January this year, a 189% increase compared to the same period last year.

Wang Yijiao has witnessed the improvement of supporting facilities and service levels at major ski resorts. "Nowadays, amateur skiers like me are no longer satisfied with short-term rental experiences but instead are delving into understanding and purchasing skiing equipment. Ice and snow sports have become one of the ways I pursue a fashionable lifestyle."

With the geographical proximity and cultural affinity of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, it possesses natural advantages in coordinated development of culture and tourism. As the region actively explores new cultural and tourism scenes and formats, continuously improves cultural and tourism services, and promotes the deep integration of cultural and tourism businesses, the cultural and tourism industries of the three regions will take new steps towards coordinated development.

Translator: NIU Lihua

Reviewer: BAI Jing