①The hosting of this对接会 (industrial matchmaking conference) serves as a microcosm of the continuous development of Lu’an’s cultural tourism industry; ②In recent years, leveraging the integration and development opportunities within the Yangtze River Delta region and the strategic cooperation with Shanghai, Lu’an has been striving to build itself into a nationally renowned red-green integrated cultural tourism wellness base and a high-quality leisure and vacation destination in the Yangtze River Delta. It is gradually becoming a key node city in the cultural tourism landscape of the Yangtze River Delta.
According to The STAR Market Daily report by reporter Li Yu on December 26, the application transformation special session of the 8th Red Micro Film Festival – the 2026 Lu’an Cultural Tourism Industry Factor Matching Conference was held in Jinzhai County, Lu’an City, Anhui Province, on December 25.
As an industrial matching event centered on ‘the industrialization of red intellectual property and the marketization of cultural tourism resources,’ this conference focused on three major directions: project construction, business model upgrading, and market co-expansion. Multiple cooperation agreements were finalized, and critical industry guidelines were released, further integrating Lu’an’s cultural tourism industry into the Yangtze River Delta region and strengthening its role as a core pillar of regional economic growth.
This matching conference brought together leaders from the cultural tourism authorities of Anhui, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, as well as representatives from key cultural tourism enterprises and film production institutions, to engage in in-depth discussions on industrial collaboration. During the conference, two key documents were officially released: ‘The 15th Five-Year Plan Opportunities List for Lu’an’s Cultural Tourism Industry and New Business Model Application Scenarios,’ which outlined several high-quality cooperation opportunities in scenic area upgrades and wellness resorts; and ‘Lu’an’s Work Guidelines for Deep Integration of Broadcasting, Television, and Cultural Tourism,’ which clarified the direction of industrial convergence and provided clear guidance for market participants’ investments.
The signing ceremony became the highlight of the entire event, with three major cooperation agreements being finalized on-site: Trip.Com will assist Tiantangzhai Scenic Area in expanding its customer base in the Yangtze River Delta; Shanghai Xin Kanghui Travel Agency committed to organizing over a thousand teenagers from the Yangtze River Delta annually to visit the E-Yu-Wan Memorial Park for red-themed educational tours; Anhui Xingcan Culture reached a cooperation agreement with Liuwanqingxia Scenic Area to jointly build a red film production base.
Yin Jing, manager of Shanghai Xin Kanghui Travel Agency, stated that Lu’an’s study tour products have achieved a qualitative leap from ‘tourist activities’ to ‘educational courses.’ In the future, they will deepen their cooperation to expand the reach of customers from the Yangtze River Delta.
The simultaneously launched 2026 ‘Dabie Mountain Cup’ Cultural Tourism Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition focuses on soliciting entries in product innovation and business model integration, aiming to gather creative resources to drive the upgrade of the cultural tourism industry.
Sun Yingying, Business Manager of Anhui TuXiu Interactive Information Technology Co., Ltd., commented, ‘Lu’an uses microfilms and situational performances to revitalize red cultural resources, creating immersive cultural scenarios. This innovative model has significant development potential. We look forward to collaborating with Lu’an to promote the branding and industrialization of red resources.’
▍Impressive Industrial Data, Cultural Tourism Becomes Pillar of Economic Growth
The hosting of this对接会 (docking session) serves as a microcosm of the continuous development of Lu’an’s cultural tourism industry.
Data indicates that from January to November 2025, Lu’an City received 74 million tourists and generated total tourism revenue of 54.9 billion yuan, representing year-on-year growth of 13.3% and 13.42%, respectively. Currently, the cultural tourism industry has become a core pillar for driving regional economic growth and integrating into the Yangtze River Delta integration.
In terms of project construction, Lu’an’s cultural tourism industry demonstrates robust investment vitality. To date, 119 cultural tourism projects have been incorporated into the province’s ‘Double Recruitment and Double Introduction’ platform, with a total value of 18.586 billion yuan; 86 projects have been included in the statistical monitoring scope of fixed asset investments in the cultural tourism sector, showing a growth rate of 120.9%; six cultural tourism projects have been selected for the provincial list of 100 key projects, with an investment completion rate of 162.48%. All indicators rank among the top in the province. In terms of financing support, through mechanisms such as regular对接会 (docking sessions) and coordination meetings, over 40 cultural tourism enterprises have secured financing exceeding 1 billion yuan, effectively alleviating corporate funding pressures.
Meanwhile, significant progress has been made in local business model innovation and consumer activation.
Statistics show that throughout the year, Lu’an hosted more than 3,000 seasonal cultural tourism theme events and distributed 4.5 million yuan worth of consumption vouchers to stimulate cultural tourism spending. The ‘Study Tour of Dabie Mountain – Mobile Ideological and Political Class’ brand has achieved comprehensive and market-oriented development, with study tours accounting for over 30% of the annual total tourist接待量 (visitor count).
Additionally, the city invested 350 million yuan to upgrade and transform 47 cultural tourism projects. Fifty-three 3A-level and above scenic spots received approximately 21 million tourists annually, while rural homestays underwent simultaneous improvements in service quality and employment generation effects through ‘Two Enhancements and Three Renovations.’
▍Integration into Yangtze River Delta Collaboration Expands Industrial Development Space
In recent years, leveraging the opportunities presented by the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region and its cooperation strategy with Shanghai, Lu’an has been fully committed to establishing itself as a nationally recognized red and green cultural tourism wellness base and a high-quality leisure and vacation destination within the Yangtze River Delta, gradually emerging as a key node city in the region’s cultural tourism landscape.
In terms of regional collaboration, Lu’an has built cooperative bridges through cultural exchanges. Cultural IPs such as the Red Stories Exhibition and the original folk opera ‘Dabie Mountain Love Story’ have reached Shanghai, attracting a cumulative audience of 35,000 people, achieving two-way empowerment between regional culture and the Yangtze River Delta market.
At the industrial cooperation level, Lu’an has attracted well-known enterprises like Trip.Com and Jingyu to establish operations locally. Projects such as Ctrip Farmhouse in Dawan Village and Mengxiang Village in Nanshan South have promoted the branding and upgrading of rural homestays, transforming ecological resources into residential tourism experiences.
In terms of market integration, the cultural tourism cooperation mechanism between Shanghai and Liu’an, titled ‘Mountain and Sea Partnership: Joint Construction and Shared Benefits,’ has achieved significant results, with an average annual reception of nearly 30,000 Shanghai employees for health retreats. The regular operation of red tourism special trains and the continuous hosting of events such as the Yangtze River Delta Skiing Invitational have further stimulated consumption growth. Since 2025, Liu’an has received 2.71 million tourists from Shanghai and 5.26 million from Hefei, demonstrating substantial progress in regional tourist exchange.
As the first industry-specific event hosted by the Red Micro Film Grand Prix, this对接会has established an important platform for resource linkage and momentum transformation. Moving forward, Liu’an will leverage this conference to build a normalized, branded cultural tourism service system, deepen resource sharing, route connectivity, and tourist exchange with the Yangtze River Delta region, promote the transformation of red cultural resources into high-quality industrial projects, and foster new cultural tourism business models and scenarios, strengthening its role as a pillar in the regional economy.
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