Breaking the boundaries of rural tourism, how can villages transform into "outdoor sports paradises," digital immersive theaters, and wellness retreat destinations? Guangdong Province's "High-Quality Development Project for Hundreds of Counties, Thousands of Towns, and Tens of Thousands of Villages" command office recently issued the "Several Measures to Promote High-Quality Integrated Development of Agriculture, Culture, and Tourism" (referred to as the "Measures"), outlining 27 action guidelines.
With the deepening implementation of the "Hundreds, Thousands, Tens of Thousands Project," Guangdong has selected 19 pilot zones across two batches to promote county-wide integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism, fostering new business models and scenarios. Building on this foundation, the "Measures" explicitly aim to establish Guangdong as a nationally leading and globally recognized hub for high-quality, deeply integrated agri-culture-tourism development, showcasing distinctive local characteristics, Lingnan cultural charm, and a robust tourism industry.
What signals does this send? Wu Zhicai, Dean of the Tourism Development and Planning Research Institute at South China University of Technology and a member of the expert think tank for the "Hundreds, Thousands, Tens of Thousands Project," noted that the "Measures" indicate Guangdong's shift from pilot exploration to systematic province-wide promotion, entering a phase of comprehensive institutionalization and structured expansion. The development model is also evolving from traditional formats to diversified value-chain integration, transcending the conventional "leisure agriculture and rural tourism" approach by incorporating industrial heritage, digital technology, outdoor sports, traditional culture, and eco-wellness elements.
Experts believe Guangdong's agri-culture-tourism integration has progressed from mere "addition" to genuine "synergy." The "media+" initiative outlined in the "Measures" is expected to catalyze this transformation.
**Driving Comprehensive Integration Across All Sectors** The core of agri-culture-tourism integration lies in breaking industrial boundaries, activating resource elements, and redefining rural value. The "Measures" emphasize promoting holistic integration across all sectors.
From a cultural tourism perspective, the plan calls for deep exploration of Lingnan culture—encompassing Cantonese, Hakka, and Teochew traditions—alongside traditional farming, fishing, and pastoral heritage to develop high-quality immersive tourism projects. It also highlights upgrading historical and cultural cities, towns, villages, and districts, supporting heritage-themed routes and ancient pathways, and creating unique water-themed tourism products. Additionally, the plan promotes intangible cultural heritage workshops and "Beautiful Intangible Cultural Heritage Rural Tourism Destinations."
For rural leisure functions, the "Measures" propose localized development of田园观光 (pastoral sightseeing),农事体验 (farming experiences),休闲渔业 (recreational fishing), and茶文化体验 (tea culture immersion), while enhancing特色民宿 (boutique homestays),帐篷露营 (tent camping), and乡村研学 (rural study tours). Strengthening inter-regional resource complementarity and connectivity will help form rural leisure clusters and elevate精品线路 (premium tourism routes).
Liu Lizi, Director of the Urban Culture Research Institute at the Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, observed that Guangdong's rural agri-culture-tourism integration is transitioning from initial "overlay" to deeper industrial synergy. The "Guangzhou-style lifestyle," characterized by balance, optimism, and a pioneering spirit, offers a unique advantage in urban-rural tourism.
Extending into wellness tourism, the "Measures" encourage coastal, hot spring, mountain, and lake resorts, as well as traditional Chinese medicine health tourism bases and forest wellness retreats, fostering "ecology + wellness" and "rural + staycation" models.
The环南昆山—罗浮山 (Around Nankunshan-Luofushan) area in Guangzhou, a pilot zone for the "Hundreds, Thousands, Tens of Thousands Project," exemplifies multi-industry integration. It strategically combines "wellness+, culture+, agriculture+, and innovation+" industries, leveraging the "Lingnan's Premier Hot Spring" brand to develop five wellness clusters:温泉 (hot springs),森林 (forests),运动 (sports),汉方 (traditional remedies), and医疗 (medical care). This approach systematically transforms ecological resources into diverse, high-quality wellness products, offering replicable models for similar regions.
The "Measures" also envision an "outdoor sports paradise," expanding乡村徒步 (rural hiking),水上运动 (water sports), and田园骑行 (countryside cycling), alongside developing大湾区文体旅走廊 (Greater Bay Area culture-sports-tourism corridors),粤北山地湖泊运动经济带 (northern Guangdong mountain-lake sports belts), and滨海休闲运动示范区 (coastal leisure sports zones).
Liu highlighted the 2025 National Games as a pivotal opportunity, where赛事场馆 (competition venues) and乡村景观 (rural landscapes) can merge, converting temporary客流 (visitor flow) into lasting消费留量 (consumption retention).
**Market-Driven Innovation in Experience Scenarios** Guangdong aims to make agri-culture-tourism a pillar of county economies. Wu stressed market-oriented development, shifting from "selling what's available" to "providing what the market demands."
The "Measures" propose innovative leisure experiences and stronger branding. Culinary tourism takes center stage with推广行动 (promotion campaigns) like "百县千碗" (Hundred Counties, Thousand Dishes) and "广东鲜品" (Guangdong Fresh Delicacies), featuring药食同源 (medicinal cuisine) and生态鲜美 (eco-gourmet) offerings.
To avoid homogenization, the plan emphasizes local resource activation. For文艺资源 (cultural assets), it suggests repurposing传统剧场 (traditional theaters) and商业综合体 (malls) into新型演艺空间 (modern performance spaces).工业资源 (industrial heritage) like老旧厂房 (old factories) and工业类博物 (industrial museums) can become "岁月工场" (Time Factories), blending乡村记忆 (rural nostalgia),知识传播 (knowledge sharing), and创意文化 (creative culture).
Wu noted these measures reflect本土思维 (localized thinking), integrating ecological and historical contexts while involving communities in development.
Digital technology further revolutionizes experiences. In Jiangmen's Xiaonan Village, AR brings 750-year-old鲜卑图腾 (Xianbei totems) to life, while数字孪生 (digital twins) enable virtual tours. The "Measures" prioritize智慧农业 (smart agriculture),智慧景区 (smart attractions), and数字乡村 (digital villages), leveraging VR/AR for沉浸式体验 (immersive experiences) and "AI + agri-culture-tourism" applications.
Branding efforts focus on示范标杆 (model zones) like环南昆山—罗浮山 and环万绿湖, alongside特色活动 (signature events) such as "四季村晚" (seasonal village galas) and "村BA" (village basketball leagues). The "media+" strategy includes campaigns like "周末叹广东" (Weekend Escapes in Guangdong) and短视频 (short videos) to amplify storytelling.
Liu concluded that the "Measures" address碎片化 (fragmented) tourism trends by consolidating rural projects into recognizable brands, while轻量化 (lightweight) media content ensures持续触达 (continuous engagement) with diverse audiences.
Comments