Jinan’s 45th Spring Lantern Festival Concludes, Showcasing Traditional Culture Innovation

Recently, the 45th Tianxia No.1 Spring Festival Lantern Festival at Baotu Spring Scenic Area in Jinan, Shandong Province, has successfully concluded. Lasting for more than 20 days, the festival integrated intangible cultural heritage (ICH) craftsmanship with light and shadow technology, allowing visitors to experience the unique charm of Jinan, the "Spring City", according to Niu Xiaoxia, deputy director of the Operation and Management Department of Jinan Quancheng Tourism Group Co., Ltd.

As a national historical and cultural city and a "City of East Asian Culture", Jinan has fully leveraged its advantages in historical and cultural resources in recent years. By deeply cultivating its cultural heritage, adhering to inheritance and innovation, the city has strived to build a new benchmark for the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture.

In 2025, Jinan dug deep into resources such as the "Two An" culture and spring water culture, launching local original immersive performance projects including "Dream Back to the West Tower", "Dream of the Ming Lake · Tour in Paintings" and "Spring Show". Relying on venues such as the Provincial Capital Grand Theatre and Mahua FunAge, it introduced high-quality plays such as "Heavenly Creations" and "Heart-Stealing Dinner", and created cross-border integrated products like the Qilu cultural food theater "Show Feast". These efforts have activated a new upsurge in urban consumption, enabling the public to share the achievements of cultural innovation and enhancing their sense of cultural gain and happiness.

Jinan’s cultural IPs have been continuously expanding, including the Chaoran Tower which frequently tops the hot search lists, the popular Jinan International Biennale, and the culturally rich Shandong Handicraft Exhibition Center. 

These IPs fully demonstrate Jinan’s strength and potential in cultural inheritance and innovation vitality, with the key to its success in promoting cultural innovation lying in finding the integration point between traditional culture and the public.

Traditional folk customs are the soul of Jinan’s festival activities. The Qin Qiong Prayer Cultural Tourism Festival at Wulongtan Scenic Area has held activities such as prayer ceremonies, performance shows and cultural and creative markets, deeply presenting the historical culture of Qin Qiong prayer. 

Meanwhile, Qianfo Mountain Scenic Area has carried out traditional activities such as mountain-climbing for blessing and bell-ringing for good fortune in accordance with folk traditions. 

These classic activities carry the folk memories of old Jinan, allowing visitors to feel the charm of fine traditional Chinese culture through interaction.

By integrating traditional culture with modern elements and innovating presentation forms, Jinan has not only enriched the spiritual and cultural life of its citizens but also attracted more visitors to experience the unique charm of the Spring City, laying a solid foundation for the sustainable development of its cultural and tourism industry.