As one of the series of events under the 2015 Cultural Tourism Year campaign "A Paradise of Caves · The Magnificent Zhijin," the "China Guizhou · Zhijin International Karst Cave Culture Festival" will be held from August 6 to December 31, lasting five months. The festival will officially kick off on September 23–25 at the Zhijindong Welcome Square, where more than 10 series of activities will be launched to comprehensively and multi-dimensionally showcase the image of Zhijindong as the most beautiful geological park and the achievements in its bid to become a UNESCO Global Geopark, further enhancing the visibility and influence of the "A Paradise of Caves · The Magnificent Zhijin" tourism brand.
The opening ceremony’s evening cultural performance will focus on local ethnic and folk culture, integrating elements of cave culture, geological science education, and the concept of UNESCO Global Geoparks. It will highlight the tourism image of Bijie, showcase the distinctive features of the Zhijin region, and create a stunning stage presentation through time-honored folk culture, vibrant ethnic customs, and unique karst geological wonders. This will fully display the characteristics of local folk culture and present to the world the magical charm of "A Paradise of Caves · The Magnificent Zhijin" — specifically, the "Enchanting Zhijindong · Soul of the Guizhou Plateau."
In addition to the distinctive opening ceremony, this edition of the Cave Culture Festival will also emphasize the theme of "culture." Events include an expert forum on standardized management of karst cave tourism, a seminar on the integrated development of culture and tourism in Colorful Guizhou, a nationwide media tour through the UNESCO Global Geopark Zhijindong, and a geological science education outreach program at universities by Zhijindong. National media, experts, tourists, and university students and faculty will be invited to explore the mysteries of the Zhijindong National Geopark. Through firsthand seeing, walking, and listening, they will learn about the magical stories behind nature—especially those related to geology, earth sciences, and caves—sparking a wave of interest in geological science tourism.