This year, the term "New Chinese Style" has extended into the tourism sector, with main activities including visiting cultural and museum venues, exploring ancient cities and towns, participating in traditional cultural activities, appreciating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) crafts, experiencing Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) styling, and purchasing Chinese-style cultural and creative products. Behind the rise of "New Chinese Style" is the deep accumulation of thousands of years of Chinese traditional aesthetics. "New Chinese Style" tourism combines traditional culture with modern leisure activities. In Beijing, you can experience it in the following ways—

"New Chinese Style" Activities

01. Yuanmingyuan "Shiguang Shopping Street"

Shiguang Shopping Street is a replica based on the Old Summer Palace Shopping Street, modeled after the "Forty Views of Old Summer Palace." It reconstructs many scenes from the glorious times of Old Summer Palace, with nearly 30 ancient-style shops offering everything from Chinese and Western cuisine, old Beijing specialties, and cultural and creative products to national style performances and immersive light and shadow experiences.

Visitors can try on traditional costumes at the "Pray for blessings" at the Maoyuanhao entrance, enjoy cross-talk and traditional Chinese opera at the Qingyinge Teahouse, and participate in traditional crafts like pottery and seal carving, along with various fun cultural activities. The "light and shadow experience" at Shiguang Shopping Street is particularly eye-catching. The immersive flight experience space "Dongtian Riyue" allows visitors to explore the magnificent sights of Old Summer Palace from a time traveler’s perspective.

The "Yuyuan Yingge" light and shadow interactive space recreates the scenes of "Luyue Kaiyun" and "Quyuan Fenghe" from the Forty Views of Old Summer Palace.

The immersive flight experience space "Qianji Old Summer Palace" uses naked-eye 3D technology to recreate majestic palace cities and beautiful gardens.

02. China National Arts and Crafts Museum

The China National Arts and Crafts Museum, also known as the China ICH Museum, draws its architectural inspiration from the traditional Chinese treasure box. Its collection covers eleven categories, including jade carving, stone carving, bamboo and wood carving, ivory and bone carving, weaving and embroidery, ceramics, lacquerware, metal crafts, glass, Thangka, and ethnic and folk arts. Several exhibitions are currently on display:

· "Vast and Diverse: A Thematic Exhibition on China's ICH Protection Practices"

This exhibition features more than 100 national ICH representative projects and UNESCO-listed ICH items, with over 600 exhibits across ten categories of ICH. The exhibition will run until June 2025, during which 100 national-level ICH inheritors will be invited for live demonstrations. The exhibition also includes two ICH streets, eight interactive experience zones, and fifteen multimedia exhibits, offering visitors an immersive experience of ICH's unique charm.

· "Blossoms of Dunhuang: Eighty Years of Art and Design by Chang Shana"

This exhibition showcases nearly 400 works, divided into six sections: an introduction to her life, Dunhuang reproduction, floral sketches, the ten great buildings, new applications, and the integration of science and art. The exhibition comprehensively presents Mr. Chang Shana's artistic achievements over eighty years, using Dunhuang's cultural treasures in shaping the national image of the Republic and in the inheritance and development of Chinese traditional culture.

Address: No. 16, Hujing Donglu (Rd East), Chaoyang District

03. National Museum of Classic Books: "Yongle Eternal Reflection"

The "National Style Sci-Fi Immersive Theater - 'Yongle Eternal Reflection'" uses theater to vividly recreate the compilation process of the Yongle Encyclopedia through light and shadow, sound and visual arts, and performance. It showcases the rich and valuable knowledge, thoughts, humanistic spirit, and moral norms contained within the encyclopedia, and recreates the clothing styles of the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods. Using virtual reality, holographic projection, and other multimedia technologies, it creates a rich three-dimensional visual experience.

Address: South District, National Library, No. 33, Zhongguancun Nandajie(St), Haidian District

04. Juyongguan Great Wall: "Great Wall Wonderful Night"

This event combines modern performance arts such as sound, light, and electricity with fire-breathing magic, flash dances, large interactive art installations, and ICH fish lantern parades. It is an innovative interpretation of the Great Wall's history and culture, allowing visitors to experience Beijing's nightlife.

Operating Hours:

From May 1 to October 12, every Friday, Saturday, and public holiday from 18:30 to 22:00 (ticket sales and inspection close at 21:00). Closed on the last day of public holidays.

Tour Route:

Enter from Parking Lot No. 2 → Yuntai → Ancient Inn Path → North Pass City Tower → East Mountain Great Wall No. 1 Watchtower → Return from No. 4 Watchtower.

Address: Juyongguan Village, Nankou Town, Changping District

"New Chinese Style" Gardens

01. China Garden Museum

The China Garden Museum is the first national museum in China dedicated to gardens, featuring exhibition halls, indoor garden displays, and outdoor exhibition areas. The indoor gardens capture the essence of southern gardens, with three landscape features: Chang Garden, Yuyin Mountain House, and Panshi Mountain House. The outdoor area consists of three northern-style gardens: the Tower Shadow Courtyard, Ranxia Mountain House, and Banmu Pavilion, each designed according to the terrain.

This summer, there are activities in the garden!

Address: No. 15, Shooting Range Road, Fengtai District

02. Zizhuyuan Park

The park's landscape is characterized by rich bamboo groves, creating a unique mountain and water scenery. The park features meticulously arranged rockeries, pavilions, corridors, halls, and houses, interspersed with bamboo and flowers, making it a perfect place for "New Chinese Style" photography with its cool ancient charm and Jiangnan bamboo atmosphere.

The gentle breeze sways the bamboo shadows into a painting, with white walls and gray tiles, pavilions, and towers, the dense bamboo forest and sunset intertwining, showcasing Oriental charm.

Address: No. 35, Zhongguancun  Nandajie(St),  Haidian District

03. Tuanjiehu Park

The park's pavilions, terraces, and towers have gray tile roofs, white plastered walls, and mahogany-colored windows and doors, exuding the elegance of classical Jiangnan gardens. Wandering through the park, where beautiful scenery contrasts with surrounding tall buildings, you can feel the charm of nature even in just 20 minutes.

Address: No. 16, Tuanjiehu Nanli, East Third Ring North Road, Chaoyang District

04. Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Scenic Area

The Beijing (Tongzhou) Grand Canal 5A-level Cultural Tourism Scenic Area is an important part of the Grand Canal World Cultural Heritage. With the canal as the axis, it connects the lighthouse and surrounding ancient building complexes, the Canal Business District, the Grand Canal Forest Park, the Urban Green Heart Forest Park, and three major cultural facilities in the sub-center. The long and wide greenway along the water's edge has become a riverside promenade.

Address: Along both sides of the North Canal, Tongzhou New City, Tongzhou District

05. Gubei Water Town

Stroll along the stone-paved streets, admire the ancient architectural styles, and feel the tranquility and unique charm of the ancient town. Take a boat ride to enjoy the ancient buildings and beautiful scenery along the shore, fully appreciating the beauty of the water town.

This summer’s theme event is the "Starlight Music Season," lasting from July 12 to August 25. It includes various activities such as "Summer Starlight Concerts," "'Tide' Market," "Pool Party Carnival," "Watermelon Battle King," "Slide Around," and "Kayak Fun."

Address: Simatai Village, Gubeikou Town, Miyun District

To escape the summer heat, why not take a unique "New Chinese Style" garden tour? What other "New Chinese Style" tourism experiences and destinations can you find in Beijing?