With the May Day holiday approaching, Changsha has meticulously arranged 105 cultural and tourism activities across seven categories, said the Changsha Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, and Television on April 27, 2026. The activities feature immersive China-chic events, intangible cultural heritage experiences, cultural and art performances, museum exhibitions, hands-on workshops, nature-themed attractions, and shopping areas.

A lineup of new and exciting performances awaits. "Seeking in Changsha," an immersive cultural and historical art performance will be staged at Changsha Museum for five consecutive days, bringing cultural relics to life at theater. The newly-produced "Encountering in Hunan: The Butterfly Lovers" will premiere at Xiangjiang Theater, starring Wu Fenghua, a two-time winner of the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award. The upgraded 2.0 version of "The New Liu Hai Cuts Firewood" will make its debut, breathing new life into this classic flower-drum opera. The "Michael Lives Forever" concert tour will faithfully recreate MJ's iconic stage in a 1:1 replica. "The Little Prince" and the Mahua FunAge's "The Count of Mount Wulong" will be performed at the Meixi Lake International Culture and Arts Center Grand Theater during the holiday. The Tanhe Ancient Town will launch an interactive performance "I Return to the Western Zhou Dynasty," where visitors can dress up for free and perform as guests of the Western Zhou era (1046–771 BC).

There will be plentiful new exhibitions. The Changsha Art Museum prepares to host five new exhibitions, while the MICA Art Museum will launch three major exhibitions simultaneously. The Xie Zilong Photography Museum will hold its first large-scale "horse-themed" photography exhibition. Art Exhibition on Picture Book Illustrator Cai Gao is also on display. Meanwhile, the British Library's "Pixel World" Exhibition will make its Hunan debut at the Taskin Mall.

Changsha will bring you colorful and delightful experiences. The Dingwangtai Changsha Opera Intangible Cultural Heritage Center has officially opened, featuring over 20 performances of Xiang Opera, Flower-drum Opera, and Changsha Tanci (story-telling). The Zilongwan Hot Springs Resort in Ningxiang will bring a live music venue right into the pool, allowing audiences to "watch shows while lying down." The Xingma Isle will launch spring outing experiences and cute pet interactions. Liuyang culture and tourism authority will introduce a "Zhang Xue-style" experience package. The new landmark "Snack Kingdom" will offer a one-stop shopping and dining experience.

In addition, tourist attractions such as the Tongguan Kiln China-chic Paradise—where everyone wears Hanfu—the Guitang River Craft Beer Hub, and the "Ceramic Treasure Hunt" at Moon Island will allow visitors to experience the enduring charm of Changsha amidst the vibrant local atmosphere.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of the telecommunication data and data from online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Ctrip, there will be approximately eight million visits to Changsha during this May Day holiday, which is roughly on par with last year. Due to the spring break for primary and secondary schools, the peak travel period was expected to be from May 1 to 3, with visitors from other provinces primarily coming from Guangdong, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Beijing, and Jiangsu.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.  

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang 

Chinese source: Voice of Hunan