Historical renewal boosted by tourism

Qingdao in Shandong province has combined the protection and renewal of historical urban areas with the improvement of the living environment of residents, enriching the development of its industries and creating high-quality tourist attractions.

Chen Weihua, a member of the Party group of the Qingdao housing and urban-rural development bureau, said the historical urban areas feature a fusion of Chinese and Western architecture with rich cultural and tourism resources. They play a key role in boosting the development of high-quality tourism.

"To create a national 5A-level tourist attraction, we should not only improve public facilities, but more importantly, meet the needs of the market. We adopt a people-oriented model to attract tourists with standardized facilities, quality services and special products," Chen said.

Qingdao is committed to standardizing public facilities including tourist centers, toilets, leisure, signage systems, safety protection, medical services, tourist shopping, and post and telecommunications.

The city has upgraded its tourism products according to market demand. By re-excavating and sorting out its historical resources, Qingdao has provided rich and diverse restoration and revival to its cultural hubs. The city is focused on upgrading Zhongshan Road, Zhanqiao Bridge, Jiaozhou Road, Pichaiyuan and Dabaodao blocks, as well as optimizing its industrial layout, revitalizing its century-old commercial street and continuing to revive the inherent motivation of the old city.

Qingdao adheres to the deep integration of culture and tourism, plans a series of cultural and tourism-themed activities including the Liyuan Cultural Festival and the Drama and Music Festival. It also plans to improve its cultural and artistic atmosphere while enriching the spiritual and cultural life of its residents.

Su Changhai, deputy director of the historical district protection and development bureau of Shinan district, said Shinan has listed the protection and renewal of the historical urban area as its most important task. The district is making every effort to build the Qingdao Shangjieli brand and accelerate the construction of 16 historical city protection and renewal projects in accordance with the standards of 5A-level scenic spots.

"We pay close attention to the excavation of Qingdao's local culture and systematically plan and implement cultural activities such as the Liyuan Cultural Festival, Shangjieli Beer Festival, Music Festival, Drama Festival and various popular art markets to attract more tourists."