Sanya Embraces Arts for All: Mobile Cultural Services Go Viral

Qiong Opera meets hip-hop; Li pottery and brocade collide with coffee and skateboards... The 3rd "Cool Summer" Arts Week and Cultural Center Service Week, hosted by Sanya Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports Bureau and organized by Sanya Public Cultural Center and Cultural Center, recently concluded. This citywide event—featuring "1 main venue + 12 satellite venues"—delivered uniquely Sanya-style cultural experiences, bringing services directly to the public.

Arts for All

On May 30, Sanya Joy City Plaza buzzed with energy at a cooling concert. Street dance, pop medleys, and DJ rock alternated with Hainanese dialect rap, Qiong Opera, and Danjia folk duets. Locals and tourists discovered art in unexpected corners, experiencing the city’s vibrant cultural tapestry.

"This is my first time singing outside the cultural center," said Luo Jinxiu, 55, a training participant. "Showing what I’ve learned makes me so happy. The lively atmosphere helped me relax and share my music."

For hours, melodies filled the air as passersby paused to watch. Many captured these spontaneous "surprises" on their phones.

Ten immersive zones—bridging "tradition and trend"—featured ICH performances versus hip-hop battles, Qiong Opera’s elegance clashing with skateboard stunts, and coffee brewing alongside Shanlan wine demonstrations, enveloping the venue in rich aromas.

In addition, a series of special events will be held, including an exhibition of aesthetic education achievements by young people, a square dance party, a ‘Summer in Li’ intangible cultural heritage market, a fitness exercise event, and a DIY craft supermarket. These events will create a new type of cultural and tourism consumption scene that combines artistic atmosphere and leisure experiences, comprehensively meeting the needs of different groups.

Museums on the Move

While stage arts dazzled, "mobile" intangible cultural heritage (ICH) experiences drew equal enthusiasm. The "ICH Express" train—a collaboration between Sanya Cultural Center and Sanle Tourism Railway—recently became a hotspot.

The "Phoenix Soaring" train wound through coconut-lined coasts. Inside, Li brocade adorned cabins as ICH inheritors demonstrated spinning, dyeing, and embroidery. "Scenery plus ICH immersion—unbeatable!" a tourist exclaimed.

During the Cultural Centre Service Week, activities will also bring intangible cultural heritage displays to the streets of the city. The main venue, located in the commercial district, will host a Li Village Miao Village Market, where intangible cultural heritage inheritors will give on-site explanations and demonstrations. Citizens and tourists can also taste intangible cultural heritage cuisine and experience coconut carving. One of the sub-venues, No. 1 Harbour City, will host a National Trend Culture Carnival, offering audiences experiences such as Hanfu costume design, hairpin decoration, and fan and incense pouch making.

Notably, this Cultural Centre Service Week event broke free from venue constraints, creating a ‘mobile cultural stage’ in public spaces such as duty-free cities and commercial complexes. Projects like street music shows, dawn yoga, and marine environmental protection collaborations extended cultural services to every corner of the city, establishing a ‘15-minute cultural lifestyle circle.’ Moreover, the event launched the Sanya City Cultural Centre's outdoor live streaming studio, offering 120 hours of slow-paced live streaming to showcase the full scope of the ‘Cool Summer’ Arts and Culture Week and Cultural Centre Service Week. Residents and visitors can simply open their phones and enter the live streaming studio to experience Sanya's ‘cool’ arts and culture lifestyle together.

‘This event is not only a showcase of service efficiency, but also a new starting point for the integration of culture and tourism.’ A representative from the Sanya City Cultural Centre explained that the centre currently offers 195 free courses in subjects such as fine arts, singing, calligraphy, Latin dance, and guzheng at its main branch in Sanya, as well as at service points in various districts and even villages (communities). These courses have already trained nearly 4,500 participants. In the future, the Sanya City Cultural Centre will continue to optimise its free access and public training services to ensure that cultural services benefit an even broader audience.

Pampering Visitors

Cultural and tourism activities were abundant, and warm-hearted services were equally thoughtful. During the recent Dragon Boat Festival, at the Sanya Dragon Boat Open Championship venue, the sound of drums echoed across the Sanya River. A mobile ‘surprise delivery vehicle’ travelled along the riverbank, distributing over ten thousand ‘cooling gift packs’ to sweaty citizens and tourists. This thoughtful initiative was praised as ‘timely,’ becoming a touching sight under the scorching sun.

Mr. Zhang, a tourist from Guangzhou who had just squeezed his way out of the crowd watching the game, couldn't wait to open the gift pack and start using the portable fan. ‘Sanya's service is so thoughtful, catering to even the smallest needs of its fans,’ he said, showing off the heat-protective items in the gift pack, unable to hide his excitement.

It is understood that the event organisers also distributed ‘cooling gift packs’ through fixed-point delivery at the airport, mobile distribution at scenic spots, and ‘surprise flash delivery vehicles’ on major city roads, bringing ‘unexpected surprises’ to citizens and tourists.

‘By accurately identifying the needs of tourists in high-temperature environments, we aim to convey “great care” through “small gift packs,” allowing residents and tourists to experience the warmth and service of the city while participating in cultural and folk activities.’ A representative from the Sanya Municipal Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports Bureau stated that in the future, such ‘micro-services’ will be incorporated into routine operations, with the launch of more ‘service + cultural tourism experience’ packages that integrate local characteristics. This will make ‘pampering fans’ a持续ing aspect of Sanya's city culture, empowering the high-quality development of the cultural tourism industry.

It is reported that the third ‘Cool Summer’ Cultural Life Week and Cultural Centre Service Week attracted approximately 100,000 people to participate on-site and over 2 million online views. This not only enhanced the coverage and influence of public cultural services, but also injected a strong ‘catalyst’ into Sanya's summer cultural and tourism consumption market.