On June 19th, Shantou, Chaozhou, and Jieyang signed the Articles of Association of the Shantou-Chaozhou-Jieyang Tourism Alliance in Shantou, marking the official establishment of the alliance. Concurrently, the theme tourism route "Charm of Mountains, Seas, and Overseas Chinese Culture: A Taste of Chaoshan" was released, alongside the debut of a unified cultural tourism IP, "Bound by Honor, Alive with Flavor: Vibrant Chaoshan."

Scenery of Jieyang

This cultural tourism IP points directly to the perceptible and experiential spiritual core of Chaoshan culture. The box-office hit "Dear You"has awakened a collective memory of "remaining tied to the homeland despite crossing mountains and seas," while turning the daily, vibrant atmosphere of Chaoshan into a viral wave of peer-to-peer recommendations. Generation Z has proactively filmed and shared secondary creations featuring local folklore, cuisine, and hometowns of overseas Chinese, breaking the previous limitations where Chaoshan tourism relied solely on short-term festival traffic. The official launch of the Shantou-Chaozhou-Jieyang Tourism Alliance aims precisely to transform this short-term cinematic popularity into long-term industrial momentum.

After joining forces, the three cities face the challenge of balancing the overall Chaoshan cultural tourism brand with individual urban identities. For instance, Shantou boasts coastal resources, a profound heritage of "Qiaopi" (correspondence and remittance documents from overseas Chinese), and a booming film and television culture. Chaozhou, a millennium-old city with deep historical roots, holds unique advantages in arts and crafts as well as the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) preserved in its ancient town. Jieyang features a picturesque tapestry of mountains, waters, and villages, imbued with a distinctive ancient and rustic cultural charm. The alliance must coordinate these individual strengths to allow each city to shine. Industry insiders have proposed bolstering the Chaoshan cultural tourism brand through three avenues: developing distinctive immersive experience projects, cultivating professional tour guides, and co-branding cultural festivals. These voices from the market frontline are now being gradually implemented under the alliance's overall coordination.