At the 2020 Conference of Developing Art Tourism in Chinese Cities held on June 18, the details of Chongqing's route for a tour of city culture and art were made public. This route was shortlisted for the 100 nationwide top-quality theme tourism routes selected and released in April this year.
Route: Chongqing Jianchuan Museum—Chongqing Jiulong Agilawood Museum—Huangjueping Piano Museum—Chongqing UpTown Musical Theatre Arts Center—Jiulongmen—Zhongshuge Bookstore (Chongqing Zhongdi Square)—Chongqing Zoo—Huangjueping Jiulong Peninsula.
Zhongshuge Bookstore
When it comes to Chongqing culture, the Anti-Japanese War culture must be mentioned. The first stop of the tour route is Chongqing Jianchuan Museum, the world's largest cave museum cluster built out of 24 air-raid shelters. Chongqing Jianchuan Museum consists of 10 thematic museums, including the History Museum of Ordnance, the Former Site Museum of the First Arsenal of Ordnance Department (Hanyang Arsenal).
About one kilometer up the river from Jianchuan Museum is the Chongqing Jiulong Agilawood Museum. This museum integrates agilawood collection, exhibition, research, and education. Tourists can also personally experience agilawood processing here.
Huangjueping Graffiti Art Street
On one side of Jiulong, Agilawood Museum stands the world's largest piano museum, Huangjueping Piano Museum. The museum has a collection of 300 antique pianos, including the piano played by Franz Liszt, who is reputed as Piano King, the 10-million-yuan piano customized for German Queen Louis, and the piano accompanying Beethoven after he became deaf in his later years.
The last stop is Huangjueping Jiulong Peninsula, an influential cultural and artistic landmark on the world contemporary art map. Here, you can find Huangjueping Graffiti Art Street, the world's largest graffiti art group; Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, the holy land of contemporary art in southwest China; Jiaotong Tea House, Chongqing's No. 1 old tea house.
"This tour route strings the charm of Bayu culture and the artistic temperament of the mountain city," noted Deng Li, Party Secretary of Chongqing Jiulongpo District Culture and Tourism Development Committee. Chongqing will continue to build an iconic, leading, and influential brand of city culture and art tourism around this route to attract tourists from home and abroad.