A rendering of the iQIYI Land (Hangzhou). [Photo/WeChat account: visithangzhou]

Hangzhou's digital cultural tourism sector gained fresh momentum on Dec 15, as agreements for three landmark projects were signed at the Hangzhou Digital Culture and Tourism Industry Development Conference: iQIYI Land (Hangzhou), the M-Journey@HZ AR experience, and the King's Park Immersive Nighttime Tour Project for overseas markets.

The projects combine film and TV cultural icons, spatial computing, AR/AI technologies and cultural export, marking a new step in Hangzhou's transition from a traditional tourist destination to a source of digital tourism innovation.

Among them, iQIYI Land (Hangzhou) will be the company's fourth immersive theme park nationwide. Planned for the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center area, the compact but highly interactive park will feature immersive theaters, digital scenography and AI-powered experiences. iQIYI executives said the Hangzhou park will place stronger emphasis on AI and local cultural co-creation, targeting younger audiences. The project is expected to attract an additional 1 million visitors to the area annually.

A poster for the M-Journey@HZ AR project. [Photo/WeChat account: visithangzhou]

The M-Journey@HZ AR project, jointly developed by Hangzhou's culture and tourism authorities, Rokid and Alipay, will focus on the city's three World Heritage sites — West Lake, the Grand Canal and the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. Visitors wearing AI smart glasses can access navigation, real-time interpretation, visual recognition and multilingual services through an integrated digital platform.

A rendering of the King's Park Immersive Nighttime Tour Project in Almaty, Kazakhstan. [Photo/WeChat account: visithangzhou]

Meanwhile, the King's Park Immersive Nighttime Tour Project, designed by a Hangzhou-based company and implemented in Almaty, Kazakhstan, represents a key step forward in Hangzhou's "culture going global" strategy. Featuring large-scale water, light and laser installations, it is expected to become a new urban landmark abroad.

Together, the three projects highlight Hangzhou's growing role at the forefront of digital cultural tourism innovation.