As many Chinese cities experience heatwaves exceeding 38°C, escaping the heat has become a top priority for summer travelers. In response, Hezheng County, located in Linxia Prefecture, Gansu Province, has officially adopted "Hezheng 23°C" as its city identity. Niu Peng, chairman of Hezheng Yang Smart Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd., is a key figure behind this initiative. He explains that what was once a simple meteorological data point has now become a central driver for the local summer tourism economy.
According to Niu, this shift reflects a deeper transformation in local cultural tourism, moving from a "resource-centric" model to one that emphasizes "value delivery."
Establishing a Brand Through Temperature: From Resource Promotion to Strategic Positioning
The decision to create a temperature-based brand in Hezheng came from a critical review of traditional promotional methods. Niu points out that previous marketing slogans focused on local resources and followed a "what we have" perspective. This approach resulted in weak visitor recognition, high memory costs, and difficulty competing with other nearby summer destinations. Selecting "23°C" as the core symbol was a strategic choice driven by both target audience analysis and market competition.
According to big data from smart tourism, visitors from Guangdong and Guangxi provinces account for over 30% of out-of-province tourists in Hezheng. Notably, 23°C is the typical comfort temperature setting for air conditioning in homes across these southern regions, and it also matches the standard indoor temperature in Hong Kong. This specific number can quickly trigger a sense of comfort and familiarity among southern tourists, establishing a cognitive link. In terms of differentiation, 23°C falls within the ideal comfort zone for the human body. It feels cooler than 24°C but avoids the "slightly cold" perception associated with 22°C, making it suitable for a broader audience.
Furthermore, Hezheng's average summer temperature consistently hovers around 23°C. By officially adopting this number first, the county has created a "first-mover advantage" in claiming the "23°C" topic. Niu notes that a numerical symbol has a much lower memory cost than a text slogan, making it highly effective for fast-consumption advertising spaces like highway billboards. The number "23" also offers extensive room for brand expansion. It can be paired with local attractions, such as "300 million years underground, 23°C above ground," linking it to the area's ancient fossil resources. It can also be extended to represent 23 scenic spots or 23 local specialties, gradually building long-term brand equity.
Connecting Culture Through Temperature: From a Number to Emotional Engagement
After establishing the brand identity, Hezheng implemented a series of initiatives using segmented communication and cultural integration to transform "23°C" from an abstract concept into a tangible market experience. Examining the county's promotional strategies reveals a targeted approach. For residents of nearby Lanzhou, the message is "Hezheng is close by, your first choice for summer retreat." For travelers passing through Gannan, the appeal is "Come to Gannan for scenery, come to Hezheng to see the Earth." Visual marketing uses contrast techniques and incorporates data on negative oxygen ions to enhance the perception of health benefits. Simultaneously, the county is working to add cultural value to its scenic spots, turning summer tourist traffic into lasting cultural engagement. For example, at the Songmingyan Scenic Area, local authorities have reinterpreted the name's meaning: "Song" represents unyielding spirit, "Ming" signifies career aspirations, and "Yan" symbolizes a stable foundation. This reimagining aims to establish the site as a rare destination in the Lanzhou area that offers spiritual fulfillment.
Driving Industry Through Temperature: From Single-Point Traffic to a Sustainable Ecosystem
The successful implementation of the city brand is underpinned by Hezheng's pioneering exploration of market-oriented mechanisms in county-level cultural tourism, which also forms the foundation for the temperature IP's lasting value. As a pilot county in Linxia for introducing market-based talent into state-owned enterprises, Hezheng has adopted a professional manager system. Core management positions are filled through talent recruitment, breaking traditional state-owned enterprise frameworks. Scenic areas operate under a separation of management and operation: administrative bodies handle public functions like heritage protection and administration, while market-driven operations are managed by specialized state-owned companies. The county also allocates revenue-generating assets, such as tickets for established scenic spots and online businesses, to these enterprises. This ensures a stable operational base and supports the training and retention of local cultural tourism talent.
Building on the temperature IP, Hezheng is promoting deep integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism. Plans include hosting cultural tourism-themed performances to support local farmers. An innovative model will allow consumers to exchange purchases of local specialty gift boxes—containing honey, morel mushrooms, and red pine mushrooms—for entry to scenic spots. This approach supports agricultural development while creating industrial value linkages. The county will also launch an annual cultural tourism calendar, planning over eight brand events throughout the year to continuously amplify the effect of its summer retreat brand.
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