Baima Ruyi Cultural Art Center (Zhou Garden)

Baima Ruyi Cultural Art Center (Zhou Garden)

Baima Ruyi Cultural Art Center (Zhou Garden) is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Nanjing Zhou Garden is a Chinese ancient culture tourism attraction fully funded by Mr. Zhou Hetong, Chairman of the Board of Hong Kong Datongli Group and Chairman of Nanjing Yonex Sports Products Co., Ltd., a British Chinese entrepreneur. The attraction is being developed in two phases. Phase I has already become the largest private museum in China, housing over a thousand collectibles including antique furniture, jade carvings, stone carvings, wood carvings, silverware, calligraphy, and paintings. It has received over 5,000 visitors, including central, provincial, and municipal leaders, cultural celebrities from all walks of life, and entrepreneurs who came to Lishui for investment, all of whom have praised and spoken highly of it.

Phase II of Zhou Garden is currently under construction and is planned to be developed into a comprehensive platform for showcasing Chinese ancient culture and art, featuring over 10,000 exhibits and offering a variety of leisure and appreciation functions for visitors to choose from. Among them is the largest private art gallery in China, where calligraphers and painters can organize brush sessions, display their works, conduct exchanges and seminars, and provide appreciation training. There will also be a stage for ethnic music performances, where professional musicians play traditional instruments such as the guzheng and pipa for public enjoyment. Entrepreneur salons will be organized, where well-known domestic collectors share knowledge on collecting and appreciation. Additionally, various exhibition halls such as the Thousand Buddha Corridor, Hundred Beds Museum, Stone Carving Group, and Ancient Home Museum will be built for visitors to explore. Once completed, Zhou Garden will not only serve as a cultural landmark for Lishui but also as a national exhibition base for travel enthusiasts to learn about Chinese ancient culture, truly establishing itself as the largest and globally unique distinctive cultural tourism attraction in China.

The tourism industry is a sunrise industry. With the continuous development of the social economy, the diversification of public demand has become increasingly prominent. The state has also placed the tourism industry high on its agenda. Tourism is also a major industry that drives the rapid economic development of a region. The industrial chain economy derived from tourism can help enrich local residents and accelerate urbanization in underdeveloped areas.

The completion of Nanjing Zhou Garden will enhance the cultural quality of the tourist attraction and attract more people with diverse needs to visit Lishui.

To achieve the design goals, the preparatory work before the opening ceremony of Zhou Garden is carried out in three steps: first, scenic area construction; second, promotion and publicity; and third, the opening ceremony.

Scenic area construction: After investigation and selection, the construction work for Nanjing Zhou Garden has been assigned to a specialized ancient architecture construction company. This construction team has previously been hired to maintain projects such as the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, demonstrating highly professional skills in ancient architecture implementation and decoration. They are required to build according to the highest standards of Chinese ancient architecture.

Promotion and publicity: Experts from the provincial and municipal tourism bureaus have been invited to provide guidance. Advertisements for Zhou Garden will be broadcast simultaneously on central and major city television stations, and promotional articles will be published in mainstream media in major cities. Representatives from the tourism industry in large and medium-sized cities around Nanjing will be invited for visits, and tourism resources will be shared across networks to mutually recommend and guide tour groups, achieving win-win or multi-win outcomes.

Opening ceremony: The opening ceremony will be held in September 2010, with the official opening to the public during the National Day holiday. During the opening ceremony, key leaders from the provincial, municipal, and county levels, as well as representatives from sister cities, will be invited, along with journalists from television, newspapers, and other media. Lucky phone-in participants will be selected—those who are among the first 100 callers to Zhou Garden’s consultation hotline nationwide will receive free admission and exquisite prizes.

The Zhou Garden cultural tourism project is mainly aimed at popularizing education on ancient Chinese culture, enhancing visitors’ interest in Chinese ancient culture, while also driving the related economic benefits brought by the local tourism industry. It guides local farmers to engage in business and achieve prosperity through the tourism industry chain, accelerating the pace of rural urbanization.