As one of the series of events under the 2015 "Fairyland of Caves · Beautiful Zhijin" Cultural Tourism Year, the "China Guizhou · Zhijin International Karst Cave Culture Festival" will take place from August 6 to December 31, spanning five months. The festival will officially open on September 23–25 at the Zhijindong Welcome Square, featuring over 10 series of activities. These will comprehensively and multi-dimensionally showcase the finest image of Zhijindong as a geological park and the achievements in its bid to become a UNESCO Global Geopark, further enhancing the visibility and influence of the "Fairyland of Caves · Beautiful Zhijin" tourism brand.
It is understood that Zhijin County is located in the central-western part of Guizhou, with an average annual temperature of 14.1°C, annual sunshine of 1,117 hours, and annual rainfall of 1,400 to 1,500 millimeters. The Zhijindong Scenic Area within the county is known as the "No. 1 Cave in the World" and is a national key scenic spot. It has been awarded honors such as "First Batch of China's National Natural Heritage" and "No. 1 on the List of China’s Most Beautiful Tourist Caves." At the same time, as a shining calling card of the Bijie Experimental Zone, Zhijindong is also hailed as a "Karst Museum" and is one of the important brands of Guizhou’s diverse tourism industry. Currently, its bid to become a UNESCO Global Geopark is in the final countdown and is set to become Guizhou’s first global geopark.
In recent years, through the continuous hosting of the cave culture festival, Zhijindong Cave has played a strong exemplary and leading role in the development of local tourism, effectively boosting the rapid economic and social progress of Bijie City, and adding a unique and beautiful touch to the tourism industry of colorful Guizhou.
To further develop, manage, and promote the Zhijindong Geological Park, this year’s Guizhou · Zhijin International Karst Cave Culture Festival will center around the theme "Charming Zhijindong · Soul of the Guizhou Plateau" and organize a series of activities.
The opening ceremony’s evening cultural performance will primarily feature local ethnic and folk culture, integrating elements of cave culture, geological science education, and the concept of global geoparks. It will highlight the tourism image of Bijie, display the regional characteristics of Zhijin, and create a stunning stage presence through time-honored folk culture, vibrant ethnic customs, and unique karst geological wonders—fully showcasing the distinctive features of local folk culture and presenting to the world the magical charm of the "Charming Zhijindong · Soul of the Guizhou Plateau" within the "Fairyland of Caves · Beautiful Zhijin."
In addition to the distinctive opening ceremony, this edition of the cave culture festival will also emphasize the theme of "culture." This includes forums such as the Expert Forum on Standardized Management of Karst Cave Tourism, the Seminar on the Integrated Development of Culture and Tourism in Colorful Guizhou, the nationwide media tour through the UNESCO Global Geopark Zhijindong, and the Geological Science Education Outreach at Universities by Zhijindong Cave. National media, experts, tourists, and university students will be invited to explore the Zhijindong National Geopark together. Through firsthand seeing, walking, and listening, they will uncover the magical stories behind nature—especially those related to geology, earth sciences, and caves—sparking a wave of interest in geological science tourism.