Baiheliang Tourism and Culture Festival to Launch in Chongqing's Fuling

Chongqing - The 2024 Baiheliang Tourism and Culture Festival will open on October 11 and end in December in Chongqing's Fuling District. Centered around the renowned Baiheliang (White Crane Ridge) Inscription, the festival will feature diverse events, including an opening ceremony, academic seminars, sports competitions, and cultural tourism promotions.

Baiheliang(White Crane Ridge) Inscription. (Photo/Fuling District)

Since Baiheliang's inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, the festival has served as a platform to promote its bid for World Cultural Heritage status. This year's opening ceremony is scheduled for October 11 in Fuling District, marking a special occasion with the attendance of Egypt's Ambassador to China. The ceremony will showcase the latest updates on Baiheliang's UNESCO nomination and feature a grand artistic performance that celebrates both traditional heritage and contemporary aesthetics.

A key highlight of the festival is the Baiheliang International Academic Symposium, where a memorandum of understanding between Chongqing and Egypt for a joint bid to nominate both the Baiheliang Inscription and the Egyptian Nilometer on Roda Island as World Heritage sites will be discussed. Scheduled for October 12, the symposium will bring together scholars from Egypt, the U.S., Japan, the Netherlands, Brazil, and China to explore the cultural significance of these ancient water measurement monuments. The discussions will focus on heritage preservation and cooperation in cross-continental nominations.

In addition to cultural activities, the festival will feature exciting sports events. The National English Rugby Sevens Championship, with 450 athletes competing, will be held at the Fuling Olympic Sports Center from October 8 to 13. 

On October 19, the "Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Cup" 2024 Chongqing Dragon Boat Invitational will take place along the Wujiang River. It will feature teams from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Chongqing districts. 

The 2024 Fuling Baiheliang Half Marathon will take place along Baiheliang Avenue on October 27. The event will feature three race categories: a half marathon, an individual health run, and a family run.

The festival will also include a variety of tourism and entertainment activities under the theme of "Explore, Tour, Enjoy, and Shop."  Highlights include guided tours, night-time museum events, water-themed comedy shows, performances at Fuling Grand Theater, and the unveiling of local specialty brands on October 25.