Trendy, Youthful, and Fun: 160,000 Visitors Check in at the Grand Canal Culture and Tourism Expo!

The 7th Grand Canal Culture and Tourism Expo was held in Suzhou from August 15 to 17, continuing the theme of "Integration, Innovation and Sharing." Combining government and market participation, onsite and online experiences, and exhibitions both inside and outside the venues, the event featured five themed exhibitions. It attracted 912 participants from 76 cities across 12 provinces in China and 35 countries and regions worldwide—an increase of nearly 40% from the previous edition, with exhibitors from outside Jiangsu making up 65%. The expo welcomed 160,000 offline visitors (up 23% year-on-year) and over 520 million online viewers, achieving its goal of being safe, spectacular and successful, while serving as a major window into the charm of the Grand Canal.

The opening ceremony unveiled "Galaxy (Xinghe)," a promotional film about the Grand Canal, which showcased the achievements we’ve gained along the canal by linking the Beidou navigation system with the waterway. Cultural tourism ambassadors from canal cities gave lively presentations of local culture through comedic performances and theatrical sketches.

The themed exhibition "Encounter Between the Silk Road and the Grand Canal of China" was a particular highlight, with 130 organizations and enterprises from 35 countries and regions (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), marking the first time that every continent was represented. The French Pavilion signed cultural tourism agreements, the Thai Pavilion offered interactive experiences, the Malaysian Pavilion announced its "Tourism Year" program, and the Portuguese Pavilion set up a colorful azulejo tile photo wall. The "Wandering in the Grand Canal - Global Adventure Market" featured activities such as stamp collection games and collaborative scroll painting, fostering cross-cultural exchanges. Additionally, 57 leading travel agents from across Asia were invited to explore canal tourism resources, supporting the recovery of inbound tourism in Jiangsu.

The expo was covered by more than 40 media outlets, with over 3,000 articles published and a total readership approaching 58 million. Impactful media including CCTV's News Broadcast has featured program reporting the event, further establishing the expo as an important platform for the public to discover canal culture and for the industry to strengthen cooperation.