On June 30, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism released the cultivation list for the third batch of signature projects under the provincial Cultural Gene Activation Initiative. Three projects from Lishui City were successfully selected for the “Zhejiang Travel Delights” category: the Shisi Temple “Gaming + Ancient Architecture” Cultural IP Project, the Ou River Dragon Culture Exhibition Hall, and the Revitalization Project for the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) of Qingyuan County’s Mushroom Culture.

Since the launch of the “Zhejiang Cultural Gene Activation Initiative” by the provincial Department of Culture and Tourism in 2024, Lishui has focused on eight key areas—Zhejiang-born celebrities, Zhejiang academies, Zhejiang's classical charm, Zhejiang’s literary classics, Zhejiang’s theatrical excellence, Zhejiang’s premium products, Zhejiang-style gifts, and Zhejiang Travel Delights—digging deep into locally distinctive cultural genes. To date, Lishui has seen a total of 12 projects included in the provincial cultivation list for signature cultural gene activation projects.

Jingning’s Daji Township, aligning with its development vision of “Song Dynasty Classical Charm”, has leveraged the popularity brought by Black Myth: Wukong to explore the historical and cultural resources of Shisi Temple’s Song-era heritage, empowering local cultural heritage through IP. Moving forward, Daji Township will continue building the Shisi Temple IP cultural and creative ecosystem, develop premium cultural products, and launch the “Cloud-Cloaked Daji Black Myth Trend Carnival” series of events to establish a distinctive cultural tourism brand for Daji.

The “Ou Dragon” tradition, with over 300 years of history, blends Ou boat culture and dragon lantern culture. Since 2013, Yunhe County has consistently hosted the Oujiang Dragon Festival, integrating dragon culture with folk performances, local cuisine, and interactive experiences to form a regional cultural brand. From 2025 to 2026, Yunhe will establish the “Ou Dragon” Culture Exhibition Hall, using modern technology to vividly present its cultural legacy.

Qingyuan County, honored as the “China Mushroom City” and “China’s Most Beautiful Ecological Tourism Demonstration County”, boasts profound historical and cultural foundations for tourism development. Next, Qingyuan will further explore the cultural significance of “Qingyuan Mushrooms”, promoting cross-sector integration such as “Mushrooms + Covered Bridges” and “Mushrooms + Village Galas”, while creating premium travel routes like “Follow the Mushrooms to Travel” to enhance the “Qingyuan Mushroom” brand.

“The selection of these three projects highlights Lishui’s phased achievements in cultural heritage preservation, regional cultural exploration, and the integration of culture and tourism, laying a solid foundation for deepening cultural gene activation efforts,” said a spokesperson from the Lishui Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports. Next, Lishui will continue to delve into regional cultural roots, innovate cultural expression, and strive to build a cultural identity system that embodies Zhejiang’s grandeur and Lishui’s distinctive character.