――2019 Beijing Tourism in the Community Event Concludes Successfully
Interpreting “Old Stories of the Capital” at the Capital Museum, experiencing “Grand Ceremony Music” at the Confucius Temple, imagining art at the Han Meilin Art Museum, exploring the wonders of the universe at the Beijing Natural History Museum, and appreciating the ingenuity of ancient architecture at the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum... These seemingly niche and artistic tourism options have long become accessible to residents in Beijing’s communities.
Recently, the 2019 Beijing Tourism in the Community series of events, organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, concluded successfully. The event organized community residents to visit the Palace Museum, the Confucius Temple and the Imperial College Museum, the China Ancient Animal Museum, the Capital Museum, the Beijing Natural History Museum, the Beijing Auto Museum, the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, and the Han Meilin Art Museum, reaching nearly 500,000 Beijing community residents. The rich and diverse cultural and museum interactions brought a more down-to-earth feel to the artistic museum tours, allowing community residents to truly enjoy the new tourism experiences brought by the integration of culture and tourism.
Promoting Integration and Achieving New Leaps in Cultural and Tourism Development
According to officials from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Beijing Tourism in the Community program has been carried out for many years. Although the promotional themes vary each year, the core mission remains the same: to deeply engage with communities and reach the general public, enabling community residents to participate meaningfully. This year’s event focused on “Museums in the Community,” with the theme “Heritage in Development—The Timeless Chinese Civilization.” It highlighted the enduring charm of Beijing’s traditional culture and looked forward to the bright future of the profound Chinese civilization. Through a series of museum activities, residents were able to experience the impact of museum visits up close and deeply appreciate the charm of cultural and tourism integration.
At the launch ceremony of the 2019 “Tourism in the Community” series, the head of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism stated that promoting the integrated development of the capital’s cultural and tourism industries is not only an important decision made by the Party Central Committee, the Municipal Party Committee, and the Municipal Government, but also a sacred mission bestowed by history. In particular, under the guidance of advancing the construction of the national cultural center, it is essential to deeply explore our rich historical and cultural resources, and through “going out” and “bringing in,” tell the story of Beijing, spread the voice of Beijing, showcase the image of Beijing, and continuously enhance the international influence of the capital’s cultural tourism.
In recent years, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism has actively responded to the needs of the times by introducing policies, organizing events, strengthening publicity, and cultivating new business forms, all aimed at promoting the integrated development of culture and tourism to better meet the growing spiritual and cultural needs of the people.
Building a Brand and Achieving New Breakthroughs in Cultural and Tourism Integration
The 2019 Tourism in the Community event recruited participants through various channels, including the “Cultural Tourism Beijing” WeChat account, covering seven urban districts in Beijing: Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai, Shijingshan, and Tongzhou. A total of 28 communities, including Tuanjiehu North Third Alley, Laoshan Dongli, and Bajiao Community, reached nearly 500,000 community residents. Additionally, the event was showcased through platforms such as the Beijing Daily, online portals, and WeChat official accounts, achieving broader dissemination. Moreover, the organizers set up cultural and museum tourism exhibition windows in some communities, allowing residents to experience the new trends of Beijing’s cultural and tourism integration without leaving their neighborhoods and to deeply engage with the charm of Beijing’s cultural tourism.
In fact, the Beijing Tourism in the Community event has been carried out for many consecutive years and has received high praise from community residents, gradually forming a brand effect of people-oriented services. In addition to organizing culturally and tourism-themed events with specific significance, the organizers also set up on-site consultations, travel bookings, cultural tourism knowledge handbooks, and leisure lectures in many communities, striving to integrate convenient and intelligent tourism services comprehensively into the community. They actively promoted connections between capable and quality travel agencies and community service centers, ensuring the effective implementation of the Tourism in the Community events. This allowed Beijing residents to enjoy convenient, affordable, and standardized high-quality tourism services without leaving their communities.
Since the launch of the Tourism in the Community events, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of residents, especially middle-aged and elderly individuals, participating in collective community activities each year. The public has shown great interest in such events. “Hosting these activities is not only a way to drive the development of Beijing’s cultural and tourism industries but, more importantly, to meet the growing tourism and leisure needs of the people while providing tangible tourism benefits to community residents,” said an official from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. The diverse and accessible formats of the Tourism in the Community events have maximized the benefits of the capital’s cultural and tourism construction for countless households, allowing the public to truly experience a better cultural and tourism life.
Building a Platform and Creating a New Highland for Cultural and Tourism Integration
Currently, the integration of culture and tourism, with culture as the soul and tourism as the carrier, has become a powerful engine driving regional economic transformation and development. The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism has fully leveraged Beijing’s cultural and tourism advantages to promote the integration of new cultural and tourism business forms into community development and residents’ lives.
At the Beijing Han Meilin Art Museum, community residents, guided by professional docents, appreciated art and participated in the “Museum Passport Punch Card Program.” During their visit, they collected information about artworks and could exchange small museum creative gifts upon completing the “Art Passport Punch Card.” The diverse interactive museum activities allowed community residents to explore the historical context and artistic charm of ancient rock paintings and even experience rock painting art activities firsthand, embarking on a unique cultural and museum journey.
At the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, expert lecturer Zhao Xianchao from Peking University led community residents in visiting the “Ancient Chinese Architecture Exhibition,” providing an easy-to-understand and detailed explanation of the aesthetic design and architectural principles of ancient Chinese buildings. The event also included interactive segments where residents, in family groups, assembled bracket arm models under the guidance of the teacher, experiencing the wisdom and precision of ancient people.
At the Beijing Natural History Museum, community residents followed experts to uncover the mystery of the dinosaurs’ disappearance, get close to primates and the massive elephant family, and used their senses to explore the secrets of Earth’s life evolution. Through fun interactive activities, they broke through disciplinary boundaries and connected knowledge across biology, geography, history, archaeology, and more. Community residents of all ages felt they had gained a lot.
At the Beijing Auto Museum, community residents entered the world of automobiles, viewing various types such as sports cars, racing cars, transport vehicles, and off-road vehicles. While enjoying the visual feast, they also gained knowledge, learning about car brands and historical anecdotes. From the south-pointing chariot to the mileage drum chariot, from the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, Jaguar convertible, Ford Model T to the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith and other classic cars, they marveled at the wisdom of their predecessors and witnessed the journey of modern cars from their initial creation to gradually becoming accessible to the public.
An official from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism stated that as culture and tourism further integrate, the importance of museum tourism continues to grow. The traditional “museum stroll” can no longer meet the increasing cultural and museum tourism demands of the public. Innovative designs, engaging interactions, and fascinating guided services are new requirements for cultural and museum tourism in today’s society. The deep integration of culture and tourism is also the starting point for the design of this year’s “Museum in the Community” series of events. With culture empowering and tourism enhancing, together they help realize the people’s aspirations for a better life.