The main venue event for the 2026 International Museum Day and China Tourism Day, themed "Connecting the World, Gathering Beauty in Foshan," will be held at Foshan Ancestral Temple Museum on May 17.
Deeply integrating cultural heritage and tourism, the event will present a rich array of activities. It will feature Lingnan-style intangible cultural heritage performances, including Cantonese opera, kung fu and lion dances. Certificates will be awarded to high-level travel agencies and nationally recognised top tour guides, with a batch of cultural-tourism cooperation projects signed on site.
Two major exhibitions will debut simultaneously. The permanent exhibition Imperially Appointed Scholars: Foshan's Imperial Examination Culture, developed over five years, is the first special exhibition on imperial examination culture in Guangdong. The Exhibition of Ancient Syrian Cultural Treasures marks Foshan's first large-scale overseas cultural relics exhibition, combining traditional Chinese aesthetics with exotic cultural elements.
A key highlight is the Travel Foshan for Global Visitors initiative, which unveils five major tourism product systems and consumption-boosting policies. Homestay and ticket-stub consumption vouchers will be offered to attract international visitors for sightseeing, cultural experiences and shopping.
The event features 47 interactive booths displaying museum cultural products, local delicacies, heritage crafts and time-honoured brands. It fully reflects Foshan's vitality as an influential cultural-,tourism destination with a history stretching back thousands of years.
By connecting the world via museums and embracing a better life through culture, tourism, and commerce, the open city of Foshan warmly welcomes global visitors to this grand celebration on May 17.
Reporter: Lu Yao, Zhou Huan, Yan Feng
Photo: Dai Jiaxin, Liao Mingcan, Foshan Ancestral Temple Museum
