A number of cultural performances were held across Shandong province during a three-month cultural extravaganza that included movies, television plays, traditional Chinese operas, concerts, and acrobatic performances.

The third edition of the Shandong Cultural Consumption Season, which was organized by the provincial department of culture and tourism, recently came to an end in Shandong, a province in eastern China.

The third Shandong Cultural Consumption Season begins on July 23 in Qufu, a city in East China's Shandong province. [Photo/dzwww.com]

According to a news conference held on Nov 18, 112 million yuan ($15.94 million) in discounts were offered during the cultural consumption season, a year-on-year increase of 19.33 percent. Consumers spent a total of 578 million yuan, up 25.67 percent over the second edition.

More than 145,868 cultural and tourism activities were held during the event, and about 376 million people and 1,542 cultural and tourism enterprises participated.

Museums, art galleries, and libraries throughout the province also launched nighttime activities to attract more visitors, and the province's 16 cities launched a series of cultural and tourism activities.

An Aladdin opera is performed during Shandong's third cultural consumption season. [Photo/iqilu.com]

Jinan, the provincial capital, has recently been focusing on its nighttime economy. It has highlighted a total of 99 places to enjoy local snacks, cultural tourism, and nighttime entertainment, including 10 large areas, 15 shopping malls, and 15 cultural recreation sites.

Rizhao has launched several night tours that include visits to Dongyi Town and Olympic Water Park, star gazing, night markets, light festivals, music festivals, and more.

According to the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, in next year's edition, it will highlight the international promotion of local cultural and tourism attractions via cross-border e-commerce platforms in order to take full advantage of the role of cultural and tourism consumption in leading industrial transformation and upgrading.

The department plans to launch more programs in rural areas and reduce poverty through the "culture + e-commerce" and "tourism + e-commerce" models.

Jinan, capital of Shandong province, launches its third cultural consumption season on Aug 15. [Photo/iqilu.com]