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Recently, the "Millennial Ancient Capital, Poetic Chang'an" 2025 Xi'an Cultural Tourism event was held. Organized by the Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the event, themed "Mutual Verification of Poetry and Place," connected more than 10 representative Tang Dynasty cultural attractions, including Xi'an Datang West Market, Daming Palace, and the Chang'an Twelve Hours themed street. It integrated immersive experiences and multi-dimensional communication, fully showcasing Xi'an's innovative vitality and fruitful achievements in building a "City of Tang Poetry."
[Image Caption: Tang Dynasty-themed city sightseeing bus departs. Photo courtesy of the organizer.]
During the event, the nation's first Tang Dynasty-themed city sightseeing bus connected various landmark attractions, and live commentary by "Li Bai" and "Yang Guifei" enhanced the visitor experience. The Silk Road poetry at the Datang West Market Museum, the ancient game of <i>touhu</i> (arrow throwing) at Xingqing Palace, and NPC poetry interactions at the Chang'an Twelve Hours themed street allowed the charm of the Tang Dynasty to permeate the entire tour.
[Image Caption: NPC poetry interaction at the Chang'an Twelve Hours themed street. Photo courtesy of the organizer.]
At the Xi'an Daming Palace National Heritage Park, the Danfeng Gate, the "Palace of a Thousand Palaces," once again witnessed "all nations paying homage." The tour guides interpreted the magnificent scene with Wang Wei's "All nations in their attire pay homage to the emperor" and Bai Juyi's "Twin towers face each other like dragons, a thousand officials in a line like geese," explaining, "We are not rebuilding buildings, but rebuilding the 'feeling'," allowing visitors to touch the resonance of Tang poetry and history amidst the ruins.
[Image Caption: Yongxingfang full of lively atmosphere. Photo courtesy of the organizer.]
Xi'an Yongxingfang was once the residence of Wei Zheng, a famous minister of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. Today, the Tang Dynasty charm blends with modern life in the bluestone alleys. Poetry slips adorn the trees, and poetry is integrated with food. Sesame cakes recreate the taste of "crispy and fragrant, freshly baked," and rice wine carries the sentiment of "I urge you to drink one more cup," allowing Tang poetry to be tasted and felt amidst the lively atmosphere. The exhibition hall of the Xi'an Museum was bustling with visitors. (Photo provided by the organizer)
The Wang Wei-themed digital immersive exhibition hall at the Xi'an Museum, utilizing 4K holographic projection and light and shadow interaction, recreates the "Wangchuan Map," making the artistic conception of "osmanthus blossoms falling in leisure" and "the verdant mist dampening one's clothes" tangible and palpable. Young visitors exclaimed that "technology makes Tang poetry easier to understand." The bells of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda at Jianfu Temple have echoed for a thousand years, and the scenic area staff said, "Protecting this pagoda is protecting a spiritual path that connects the past and the present," echoing the Zen-like meaning of Wang Wei's poems.
The 64-meter-high Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is eye-catching. (Photo provided by the organizer)
The event concluded at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda scenic area. The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is a thousand-year-old pagoda built under the supervision of Xuanzang. A tour guide introduced that Bai Juyi inscribed "The youngest of the seventeen people who inscribed their names at the foot of the Ci'en Pagoda," and Meng Jiao's exhilaration after passing the imperial examination, "With the spring breeze at my back, my horse gallops swiftly, seeing all the flowers of Chang'an in a single day," was also captured here.
The Datang Xishi Museum boasts rich exhibits. (Photo provided by the organizer)
During the event, the organizers also invited Wang Yuanping, honorary chairman of the Chang'an Writers Association, to interpret the bustling market life of the prosperous Tang Dynasty in Anrenfang, making the life scenes in the poems more impactful; Wang Zaojuan, associate professor of the China Culture Research Center at Northwest University, explained the imperial atmosphere through the Daming Palace, enhancing the "traveling with Tang poetry" experience.
A relevant person from the Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism introduced that technology empowers Tang poetry, transforming it from text into a participatory experience. The "Tang poetry + cultural tourism" model activates intangible cultural heritage, digital cultural tourism, and other industries, and street interactions awaken citizens' cultural identity. In the future, Xi'an will continue to implement the "Xi'an City Plan for Building a Tang Poetry Cultural Brand," focusing on five major projects and 26 tasks, promoting the deep integration of Tang poetry culture with life, business, and tourism, making the "Capital of Tang Poetry" brand even more prominent.
