Paolong Festival receives attention on social media

Although the Binyang Paolong Festival ended on Feb 10 in Guangxi's Binyang county, the enthusiasm for dragon culture continues online. Short videos of the vibrant dragon dance performances have been liked, shared, and replayed by many social media users, receiving high praise in the comments.

Binyang has launched over 30 activities encompassing culture, tourism, commerce, sports, and exhibitions and promoting consumption, culture, and brand strength for the 2025 Binyang Paolong Festival. The goal is to attract tourists and boost demand for local products and dragon-themed cultural products.

Binyang county's innovative ways of promoting intangible cultural heritage, focusing on youth and immersive experiences, have attracted social media influencers with millions of followers. A famous tea brand also collaborated with dragon culture inheritors to launch co-branded products. The festival's tourism market further stimulated the economy, with night markets and new attractions boosting consumption.

This year's festival has attracted over 500,000 participants, including 230,000 non-locals, generating approximately 350 million yuan ($48.03 million) in social consumption, a 7.6-percent increase year-on-year.

Cultural products like dragon hats and dolls have filled the market gap and traditional dragon dance attire has also become popular, with many visitors buying dragon-themed clothing.