Binzhou in East China's Shandong province is making efforts to promote the protection, inheritance, and utilization of Yellow River culture to fuel the high-quality development of the cultural tourism industry.

Yellow River, the second-longest river in China, is known as China's "Mother River" and the cradle of Chinese civilization. The Yellow River spans 94 kilometers across the city, and continues to develop Binzhou's profound historical culture.

Sun Tzu culture, Yellow River culture and Qi culture have become the most basic, deepest and longest-lasting driving forces behind Binzhou's development, as well as sources of vitality for the vigorous development of Binzhou's cultural tourism industry, said Song Yongxiang, Party secretary of Binzhou.

Sun Tzu culture in the city is unique and far-reaching. Binzhou is the hometown of the legendary Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu (544-496 BC). His masterpiece The Art of War is widely regarded as the world's first book published on the topic of military strategy.

Binzhou currently houses three Sun Tzu cultural institutions and has achieved nearly 500 municipal level or higher Sun-Tzu cultural research achievements.

As the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin has become a part of China's national strategy, Binzhou is striving to promote the development of Yellow River culture by implementing a series of projects.

The city is accelerating the construction of the Yellow River culture boutique tourism belt and Yellow River Central Ecological Park. A coastal cultural tourism area that integrates the Yellow River, coastlines, salt fields, shells, and other resources is expected to be built to help boost coastal tourism.

Binzhou currently is home to 10 national intangible cultural heritage projects and 52 provincial-level ones including Binzhou Lyu Opera, Huimin clay figures, and Binzhou paper-cuttings, which all feature Yellow River culture. The city has implemented the "Binzhou handmade" project, and is cultivating new growth drivers within the handicraft industry to help vitalize the city's ancient craftsmanship.

Looking ahead, Binzhou will continue to build a number of cultural landmarks and promote a batch of cultural products and cultural brands to help develop the city into a Yellow River culture tourism destination in China.