Xuanwu District of Nanjing City and Gusu District and Wujiang District of Suzhou City are found on the list of the First National Demonstration Zones for Cultural and Tourism Industry Integrated Development, alongside the other 47 entities nationwide, which is recently released by China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Zooming in on the word “integration”, Nanjing Xuanwu District has formulated an “Action Plan for 4+5 Development” to promote such regional innovation practices as the mountain-surrounding (Zijin Mountain), lakeside (Xuanwu Lake), river-front (Pearl River) and street-front (Urban Silicon Alley) areas, and fuel integrated development of five areas: scenic areas, street blocks, campuses, parks and communities. Tailored specifically to the local distinctive features and industries, Suzhou Gusu District has harnessed its strength in ancient town resources and strengthened “scenic area + commercial district” connectivity, creating a growing number of new scenarios featuring cultural and tourism integration and striving to establish a “dot-line-circle-area” spatial pattern, as part of its continuous efforts to explore the revitalization and utilization of time-honored buildings and houses, gather popularity and business, and enhance the vibrancy of the ancient areas. Wujiang District has seized strategic opportunities brought by the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region and development of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt by putting in place a new cultural and tourism industry pattern featuring “demonstration of three zones and coordinated development of three belts”. The district leaves no stone unturned to deliver a new Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze River) cultural space, polish the brand of Jiangnan culture, and further protect, dig into and leverage the shining hallmarks of Wujiang culture represented by silk, ancient towns, river-front villages, the Grand Canal and the Taihu Lake.