2026 Binzhou Giant Buddha Temple Grottoes folk culture & tourism promotion set to kick off

Nestled in Binzhou, Xianyang city, Shaanxi province, along the ancient Silk Road, the 2026 Giant Buddha Temple Grottoes folk culture and tourism promotion event will be held from April 23 to 25.

The Giant Buddha Temple Grottoes, a world-renowned cultural landmark, and the "March 8" folk activity (held on the eighth day of the third lunar month), a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage, together highlight the city’s distinctive cultural identity. This millennia-old cultural event, integrating blessing rituals, trade exchanges, and intangible cultural heritage performances, has been upgraded with innovative elements this spring, showcasing the deeper integration of world heritage and intangible cultural heritage and injecting fresh momentum into the high-quality development of Binzhou’s cultural tourism.

Themed "Travel West from Chang’an to Binzhou", the event will deliver an immersive cultural tourism experience blending ancient traditions with modern trends. It will retain core folk elements such as blessing rituals, performances, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and traditional markets, while introducing contemporary formats to create a more engaging and interactive cultural journey.

The Giant Buddha Temple Grottoes were first built during the reign of Emperor Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty (627-649) as Yingfu Temple, commissioned to honor soldiers who died in the Qianshuiyuan Battle. Located at the first stop westward from Chang’an along the ancient Silk Road, the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. Carved into the mountainside, it features over 130 grottoes and nearly 2,000 statues. The towering Giant Buddha, known as the largest in Guanzhong area (a prosperous section in Shaanxi), reflects the artistic peak of Tang Dynasty grotto craftsmanship and the cultural exchange along the Silk Road, earning it a reputation as the “first wonder in Guanzhong”.

Based on this profound heritage, the "March 8" folk activity has been passed down for thousands of years and was listed in the third batch of provincial-level intangible cultural heritage in Shaanxi in 2011, becoming one of the most representative folk cultural symbols of Binzhou. This time-honored folk event not only carries local people’s wishes for peace, prosperity and good harvests, but also serves as a vivid practice of integrating world heritage and intangible cultural heritage.

Breaking away from the traditional format of folk events, this year’s program has been upgraded across performances, settings, technology, and intangible cultural heritage preservation, bringing fresh, contemporary energy to this time-honored gathering.

In terms of performances, the event will feature the original immersive stage production Millennium Qianshuiyuan, recreating historical scenes, along with a Silk Road-inspired runway show and Tang-style costume parades. Renowned Qin Opera artists will also perform classic works, offering a rich audiovisual showcase of Silk Road culture.

Blending scene design with technology, the event will create the “Silk Road Impression·Food Market”, recreating the atmosphere of ancient Silk Road trade, with dedicated zones for local cuisine, cultural and creative products, and agricultural goods. A Silk Road light-and-shadow interactive space will also be introduced, using mountain projections and illuminated parades to build an immersive, interactive experience that brings the thousand-year Silk Road heritage to life through modern technology.

For intangible cultural heritage promotion, on-site workshops will invite heritage inheritors to demonstrate and teach traditional skills such as embroidery and paper-cutting. A range of interactive activities, including “blind boxes”, Silk Road blessing passports, and DIY sachets, will also be introduced, reimagining traditional folk culture in a more engaging, youth-friendly way.

In addition, a series of fitness activities will be held from April 19 to 27, featuring sports competitions such as basketball, table tennis, badminton and chess, along with square dance, Tai Chi and yangko performances. Cultural and sports activities will be held at the city gymnasium, national fitness center, and Kaiyuan Square, bringing energy to the event and allowing residents and visitors to enjoy spring sports and cultural experiences.

2026 Binzhou Giant Buddha Temple Grottoes folk culture and tourism promotion event will showcase world heritage grottoes, intangible cultural heritage traditions, cultural markets, and sports activities, inviting visitors from across the country to experience Binzhou’s thousand-year cultural legacy this spring.