Hubei Accelerates Development of World-Renowned Cultural and Tourism Destination

On the morning of April 25th, the 2025 Hubei Cultural and Tourism Development Conference was held in Wuhan, announcing the launch of the initiative to develop Hubei into a world-renowned cultural and tourism destination. Two major super IPs of Hubei, namely "Shenwu Gorge" and "Chi Huang Hong," were unveiled.

Hubei Launches Action Plan to Build Itself into a World-Renowned Cultural Tourism Destination

Photo by Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

Scenery of Shennongjia

Photo by Xiao Jiafa

"Shenwu Gorge" is an international eco-cultural tourism route spanning Central China and connecting world-class natural and cultural wonders. This route links 12 National 5A-level tourist attractions and 7 world-class natural and cultural landmarks, including the Wudang Mountains, Shennongjia Forest, Yangtze River Three Gorges, and Enshi Grand Canyon. Furthermore, this route showcases the diverse splendors of the Jingchu region through breathtaking landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and profound historical depth.

Wudang Tai Chi Kung Fu

Photo by Zhang Xing

Yangtze River Three Gorges

Photo by Yichang Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism

"Chi Huang Hong" is a cultural tourism route imbued with the charm of Jingchu heritage. Based on key attractions such as the Ancient Battlefield of Red Cliff, Yellow Crane Tower, and the Memorial Park of the Huang-Ma Uprising and Revolutionary Martyrs in the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Soviet Area in Hong’an, it aims to create high-quality tourist routes that integrate the culture of the Three Kingdoms period, urban culture, and red culture.

Ancient Battlefield of Red Cliff

Photo by Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

Hong'an Red Tourism

Photo by Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

The landscapes of "Shenwu Gorge" in Hubei have attracted global attention, and the culture of "Chi Huang Hong" has broken through barriers and gained popularity. Hubei is using these two super IPs to write the “Chinese-style romance” of its cultural and tourism industry, cultivating a trillion-yuan cultural and tourism industry, and accelerating the development of a world-renowned cultural tourism destination.

Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan

Photo by Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

According to data from the Department of Culture and Tourism of Hubei, in 2024, Hubei Province received 873 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 13%. The total tourism revenue was 901.16 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.8%. The cultural and tourism industry has become a “catalyst” for high-quality development.