Tech meets culture in Chengdu: how an app is changing the game in cultural tourism

The Purpose

Knowing how best to engage citizens with the city’s cultural offerings is key for most cities. Chengdu has been designated by China’s Ministry of Culture as one of 26 National Pilot Cities for Cultural Consumption. The aim is to create a digital programme that promotes cultural participation across the city.  

The Challenge

Creating a mobile app for younger audiences and those living in rural areas, to increase their engagement with the city’s cultural opportunities.

You Chengdu App is particularly benefiting rural citizens, who are more likely to be in a lower income bracket. Many are now accessing culture digitally, making planning cultural visits much easier and making repeated engagement more likely.

The Solution

Chengdu has several villages on the outskirts of the city. As in many of China’s rural areas, Chengdu’s residents are significantly less likely to be culturally engaged than those in urban areas. 

To address this, the City government has created ‘YOU Chengdu: a map of lifestyle and aesthetics’. It is an app that promotes cultural tourism, both online and offline. A collaboration between global tech giant Tencent and the City of Chengdu, the app’s technology leverages big data and AI to create a virtual map highlighting cultural attractions and amenities, from historic sites, events and festivals, to hostels and hotels.  

The app allows users to experience different parts of Chengdu. For instance, users can view ‘Instagrammable’ photos and videos of the city and navigate through different cultural attractions using various ‘lifestyle’ maps. These include a museum map, a food map and a poem map.  

Users are also encouraged to experience Chengdu’s culture in person: they can use the app to book and pay for events, restaurants and hotels, as well as create and share their cultural map based on where they have been. ‘YOU Chengdu’ is a flagship project aimed at developing Chengdu as a core cultural hub in China. The technological innovation of ‘YOU Chengdu’ means it can match Chengdu’s cultural experiences with the user’s preferences. 

Another example is the ‘Wenchuang Chengdu’ (Culture and Creative Chengdu), which rewards cultural consumption and participation with points. When users register, they receive 10–30 points (equivalent to 10–30 RMB in value) to spend. Users will receive more points when they make purchases from any registered store or venue, redeemable against future purchases. The Chengdu Municipal Government has already invested 4 million RMB to be distributed as these ‘cultural points. The app signposts a range of products and services, including stage performances, books and films, as well as tickets for museums and cultural sites.  

The Impact

The scheme is particularly benefiting rural citizens, who are more likely to be in a lower income bracket. Many are now accessing culture digitally, making planning cultural visits much easier and making repeated engagement more likely.

Source: World Cities Culture Report 2018

Images Courtesy © Getty/Canva