On November 25-26,2025, Zhengzhou hosted the final selection for the '2nd Cultural Heritage Study Tour Top 10 Projects and Top 10 Routes Promotion Exhibition.' Through on-site real-name voting, the event determined the top 10 cultural heritage study tour projects, 20 premium study tour projects, and 40 shortlisted study tour projects, along with the top 10 cultural heritage study tour routes, 10 premium study tour routes, and 16 shortlisted study tour routes.
Mei Lanfang in Shanghai: Mei Lanfang's Stage Legacy' Citywalk study tour route at Shanghai Historical Museum (Shanghai Revolutionary History Museum) has been recognized as one of the 10 premium study tour routes.
As a towering figure in 20th-century Chinese opera, Mei Lanfang's artistic journey was inextricably linked to Shanghai. At just 19 years old, his debut performance at Shanghai's Dan Gui First Stage in 1913 catapulted him to stardom. Over the next four decades, he transformed Shanghai from a hub of artistic innovation into a global showcase for Peking Opera, making the city a pivotal stage for the modernization of this traditional art form.
To thoroughly implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage and the integrated development of culture and tourism, we have systematically combed through Mei Lanfang's artistic activities in Shanghai based on the academic research findings of the special exhibition "Mei Zhan Dong Fang-Mei Lanfang in Shanghai". We have carefully designed a 120-minute core experience route, adopting the "walking immersive classroom" model to connect 10 key locations such as the International Hotel, Jinmen Hotel, China Grand Theatre, and Tianchan Stage. These significant cultural landmarks have witnessed Mr.Mei Lanfang's artistic transformation, patriotic sentiments, and cultural exchanges, forming a 3-kilometer urban walking circle. This approach transforms cultural heritage from textual displays in exhibitions into a "living classroom" for on-site exploration, creating a revitalized utilization model where "architecture can be read and history can be touched".
Since the project's implementation, over 30 themed walks have been organized, directly serving more than 800 audience members. Meanwhile, efforts have been made to actively expand the "CityWalk+" composite business model development and plan a series of distinctive "CityWalk+" activities. For example, during the 2025 China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day event "Sustainable Urban Pulse: Embarking on the Future," hundreds of participants joined the CityWalk walk, with added expert-led tours and interactive drama experiences. At the Tianchan Stage, students from the Yu Yin Society's junior class delivered a brilliant performance of classic Peking Opera, allowing participants to closely experience the rebirth and inheritance of Peking Opera art.
The "Mei Langfang in Shanghai – Mei Lanfang's Stage Map" CityWalk route centers on the cultural legacy of Mei Lanfang, weaving together heritage sites and artifacts to highlight its multifaceted significance. By integrating cultural tourism, it enriches educational experiences. This initiative transforms scattered cultural landmarks into dynamic learning spaces that are "perceptible, participatory, and inheritable," diversifying urban cultural tourism offerings and serving as a vivid example of promoting China's outstanding traditional culture.
In the future, we will continue to strive to promote the continuous upgrading of the route, from one person to one city, to gather the protection of the national spirit, to tell the story of China in innovative and diverse ways, to shoulder new cultural missions, and to stimulate the innovative vitality of civilizational progress.
