Xi’an Builds “Tang Poetry Capital” to Breathe New Life into Ancient Culture

Since 2025, Xi’an has launched an initiative to build itself into a “Tang Poetry Capital”, planning to integrate Tang poetry culture with people’s daily life and the development of culture, tourism and commerce within about three years, according to Xinhua News Agency. Today, Tang poetry has become a visible and tangible scenery in many historic sites and streets of Xi’an, as the thousand-year-old verses are gradually integrated into the city’s texture and people’s lives.

As an ancient capital with a history of over 3,100 years, Xi’an is home to numerous cultural relics related to the Tang Dynasty, and Tang poetry, which boasts a rich heritage, has long been an important cultural symbol of the city. Local farmers and residents once relied heavily on traditional cultural tourism, but with the changing times, there is an urgent need to innovate ways to inherit and promote Tang poetry culture. The construction of the “Tang Poetry Capital” is a practical move to respond to the national rural revitalization strategy and the call for cultural modernization, integrating cultural inheritance with modern life.

According to China Cultural Relics News, Xi’an has taken a series of measures to promote the integration of Tang poetry with cultural tourism and people’s daily life. The Datang Never Sleeps City block has launched a situational drama based on the poet Li Bai, allowing tourists to experience the charm of Tang poetry in an immersive way. Meanwhile, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda North Square has set up sculptures of Li Bai and other Tang poets, and held poetry recitation activities regularly, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.

A key part of the initiative is the creation of immersive experience scenarios. In the Chang’an Twelve Hours Block, tourists can participate in poetry matching games with staff dressed in Tang Dynasty costumes, and watch immersive performances based on the Tang poem “Pipa Xing” (Song of the Pipa Player), according to China Tourism News. These experiences have made Tang poetry no longer just words on paper, but a vivid part of people’s travel and life.

Zhang Wei, director of Xi’an Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, said: “Building the ‘Tang Poetry Capital’ is not only about inheriting ancient culture, but also about driving the integrated development of culture, tourism and commerce. We hope to let the world feel the charm of Chinese traditional culture through Tang poetry, and promote the innovative inheritance of excellent traditional culture.”

In addition to cultural tourism integration, Xi’an is also promoting the “Tang Poetry +” model in public spaces. The South Square of Yongning Gate of Xi’an City Wall has installed lanterns shaped like the verses “Riding on the horse, I feel elated with success; in one day, I view all the flowers of Chang’an”, creating a poetic atmosphere for citizens and tourists. The city has also built a Tang poetry cultural theme park in Qujiang New District, planting peonies and other flowers mentioned in Tang poems, and creating a “poetic garden” that can be visited and replicated.

The construction of the “Tang Poetry Capital” has not only enriched the cultural connotation of Xi’an, but also driven the development of related industries such as cultural and creative products and cultural performances. It has also become a new business card for Xi’an to show its cultural charm to the world, helping excellent traditional Chinese culture to shine in the new era.