The Nishan Sacred Land in Qufu, Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: qfnishan]

Nishan Sacred Land in Qufu city, birthplace of Confucius in East China's Shandong province, is busy preparing for the upcoming ninth Nishan Forum on World Civilizations to be held from Sept 26 to 28.

Covered in lush greenery, the area is currently hosting a grand music and dance extravaganza entitled Golden Sounds and Jade Vibrations. It combines various forms of traditional Chinese arts, such as poetry, music and dance, with contemporary stage settings, large-scale performance machinery and holographic imagery.

Wang Yu, a visitor from Hainan province, said the performance had deepened her understanding of Confucius in a vivid and substantive way. "This approach to inheriting and promoting excellent traditional culture is very innovative," she said.

To date, the Nishan Sacred Land has received more than 4 million visitors from China and abroad.

People wearing hanfu (Chinese-style costumes in ancient times) display Chinese traditional arts at Nishan Sacred Land. [Photo/IC]

Adhering to its "culture plus" concept, Shandong is continuously boosting its cultural development and integrating new formats of consumption with tourism.

As night falls and the surrounding region is bathed in the glow of lights, visitors stroll through the bustling atmosphere of Qingzhou, a county-level city in Weifang city. They immerse themselves in a journey of contemporary Chinese culture featuring flying kites, traditional lanterns and ancient walls.

"We comprehensively reviewed documents related to the famous female poet Li Qingzhao's life in Qingzhou during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), conducted artistic creations and used dance, recitations and other methods to create this work that portrays her life," said Liu Lei, general manager of Qingzhou Night City.

Qingzhou Night City is a scenic spot boasting nine non-heritage cultural workshops, themed performances and float parades.

The 2022 Confucius Memorial Ceremony is held in Qufu, Jining in East China's Shandong province on Sept 28. [Photo/IC]

The popularity of educational tours during this year's summer vacation has also opened up new markets for the cultural industry in Shandong.

"Through the activity in the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis, we have gained a deeper understanding of film technology, felt the charms of light and shadow and have had a very unique learning experience," said Liang Jingyi, a local middle school student.

Currently, the Qingdao Oriental Movie Metropolis attracts more than 60 film and television projects annually and also offers experiences such as sea and island resort sightseeing.