The 2025 Yangtze River Cultural Festival will open in Zhangjiagang on Oct 24, with Chongqing invited as the Guest City of Honor, further deepening cultural and tourism exchange and cooperation between the two cities.
Scheduled from Oct 23 to Nov 20, the festival will feature a rich lineup of events in five major sections — Heritage of the Yangtze River, Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Yangtze River, Arts of the Yangtze River, Walking along the Yangtze River, and Open Yangtze River.
In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies, the festival will include cultural and tourism promotion activities such as youth museum experiences, the Yangtze River Basin Drama Carnival, Suzhou-Chongqing cultural exchange events, and concerts, offering a diverse cultural experience for all.
Throughout the festival, cultural treasures, performing arts, and fine arts from across the Yangtze River Basin will be brought closer to communities. A variety of cultural, sports, and tourism activities — including drone light shows, ethnic fashion showcases, interactive museum experiences, drama carnivals, and tennis tournaments — will enhance the festival's appeal and cultural influence.
Meanwhile, traditional cultural fairs, cycling routes, tourism experiences, and creative cultural campaigns will stimulate consumption and promote the integration of culture and tourism. These initiatives aim to transform cultural resources into innovative tourism products, advance emerging sectors such as sports and educational tourism, and highlight the diversity, creativity, and openness that define the Yangtze River culture.
The Zhangjiagang section of the Yangtze River. [Photo/VCG]