On the evening of September 25, the opening ceremony of the 2020 Zhaojun Cultural Tourism Festival was held in Xingshan Country, the hometown of Wang Zhaojun. Wang Zhaojunis known as one of the “four beauties” inancient China, who volunteered to marry Huhanye,the leader of Xiongnu, during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), in order to establish peaceful and friendly relations between the Han Nationality and Xiongnu Ethical Minority. Nearly 200 guests from the provincial government, municipal government and county-level government, as well as members of Zhaojun Cultural Promotion Association and Zhaojun Cultural Tourism Alliance gathered here to attend the ceremony. Zhou Ji, theYichang Communist Party secretary, announced the openingof the ceremony via the online video.

　　Wu Hongya, deputy director oftheEthnicandReligiousAffairs Committee of Hubei Province, and Wang Guobin, member of Standing Committee of theYichang Government andDirectorof Information Department, gave speeches respectively. Vice Mayor Zhou Zhengying presided over the opening ceremony.

　　For better inheriting and carrying forwardthe Zhaojun Culture, 14 activities incorporating Zhaojun elements and its cultural connotations were held onasquare of Zhaojun ScenicSpot. Besides, some large-scale livebroadcastactivities were organized viavideo-sharing mobile APP such asTiktok, to help farmers fully display the economic achievements of Xingshan County and the new scenic spots of itscountryside. The activity was broadcast live on CCTV News +, Chinanews.com, People’s Daily APP, Kuaishou APP, Changjiangyun, the Three Gorges Broadcast and RadioStation, Yunshang Xingshan, and Hemei Xingshan.

　　It is reported that 2020 Zhaojun Cultural Tourism Festival is an important event held by Yichang to actively respond tothe epidemic and to promote the recovery of the cultural tourism industry. It is also the first time that it has been hosted by the municipal government, togetherwith provincial Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee and Provincial Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese with the theme of “Promoting Zhaojun culture, developing touristeconomy and boosting rural revitalization”. In addition, there will also be a series of activities, such as the contest between net-influencersof Xingshan’s tourism introduction, Chaotianhou barbecue party, food festival and dowry products sales exhibition of Wang Zhaojun, and the 2nd Strange Stone Exhibition of Xingshan County, night tour, folk customs performance, etc. The activity will last until October 20, which is of great significance to further promote the in-depth integration of cultural and tourism resources acrossthe Yichang City.

　　Cultureis thesoul of a place, while tourism is the catalyst ofthepeople’s vitality.Xingshan Countyhas been an important birthplace and inheriting place of Zhaojun Culture themed “Harmony”. This tourist festival is held toecho with the provincial and municipal activities of “Traveling with Love---Visiting Hubei, and Enjoying Yichang”,with the purpose ofboosting the cultural tourism consumer marketof Xingshan County. In recent years, Xingshan County has thoroughly implemented the provincial and municipal requirements for the Zhaojun’s cultural construction, and unswervingly promotedthe urban tourism image construction of Yichang as the hometown of QuYuan and Wang Zhaojun, and Worldwide Famous Hydropower City. In thefuture, it aims to develop itself intotheZhaojun Cultural Tourism Destination, the Great Three Gorges and Great Shennongjia ecological tourism distribution center, the demonstration county of cross-regional economic developmentof Hubei Provinceby making full use of theZhaojun culture, activating its“tourist resources” and developingits mountainous “economybased on those beautiful scenicspots”. (Reporters:Ruan Zhongmou, Song Xiaoxiao; correspondent Qiao Changjiao)