Tangya Tusi roleplay tourism
China’s Tangya Tusi City Ruins (a UNESCO site in Hubei) has been repurposed for immersive tourism with costumes, workshops and roleplay that local officials say are boosting the economy. The shift turns a heritage ruin into a living‑history experience for visitors. (x.com)
The site’s new “司城记” travel‑photography and costume‑rental programme debuted ahead of the 2025 National Day peak, with organisers saying they reconstructed more than 100 sets of Tusi‑style robes and designed “土司妆” using motifs from excavated silver ornaments. (chinanews.com) Project leader 覃亚美 told reporters the scheme averaged nearly 50 costume rentals per day after launch, while participating photographers reported individual daily shoots exceeding 1,000 frames. (chinanews.com) Xianfeng county officials reported that from January–September 2025 the county received 9.194 million visitors and recorded 6.66 billion yuan in tourism revenue, increases of 15.6% and 22.3% year‑on‑year respectively. (chinanews.com.cn) Local managers credited the travel‑photography initiative with directly lifting nearby restaurant and cultural‑product sales by about 40% during the National Day period, and said average on‑site dwell time rose from under one hour to roughly 2.5 hours. (chinanews.com) (bastillepost.com) The Tangya site office and county leaders — including site manager 罗洋 and county party chief/县长 覃正炜 — say the activation strategy is paired with ongoing conservation work and academic partnerships with universities such as Hubei University and South‑Central Minzu University. (news.hubeidaily.net) (chinanews.com.cn) State and private media footage documents complementary workshops in Tujia embroidery, silver forging and staged performances, while reporters and the site’s tourism company say the longer, multi‑service visits have created new local jobs in styling, photography and hospitality. (youtube.com) (bastillepost.com)
