The 28th Sanya Nanshan Longevity and Blessing Culture Festival 2026 Opens, Reframing Happiness Through a New Vision of Longevity and Well-Being
SANYA, China — The 28th Sanya Nanshan Longevity and Blessing Culture Festival 2026 opened on October 18 at the Dome Theater on the third floor of the Nanshan International Intangible Cultural Heritage Center. Organized by Sanya Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone, this year’s festival is themed “Find Peace and Blessings at Nanshan.” It presents a new vision of longevity and well-being, extending the meaning of longevity beyond the number of years lived to encompass quality of life.
Preserving Cultural Heritage and Exploring New Models for Tourism Development
Liu Bingrui, president of the Hainan Association of Tourist Attractions and Party secretary and chairman of Hainan Nanshan Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd., said that, amid the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and new opportunities arising from the transformation of the cultural tourism industry, Nanshan would continue to draw on the rich heritage of China’s fine traditional culture, align its development with major national strategies, and benchmark itself against world-class leisure and holiday destinations. The company aims to integrate the region’s longevity culture with its mountain-and-sea ecological resources, exploring new models for high-quality, innovative development at traditional cultural tourism attractions.
Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone has established a vision of becoming “a renowned mountain showcasing the best of China’s fine traditional culture and a world-class destination for tourism, leisure, wellness and recuperation.” It will adhere to the principles of “ecology as the foundation, culture as the soul, service as the priority and performance as the goal,” accelerating its transformation from a traditional sightseeing destination into a high-quality leisure and holiday destination centered on immersive experiences, interactive activities and wellness.
As a benchmark for cultural tourism in Hainan, Nanshan will take the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period as a new starting point, deepening the preservation and innovative development of longevity culture while bringing its cultural intellectual property (IP) to life. Through higher-quality cultural tourism offerings, it aims to support Hainan’s development into an international tourism and consumption destination, facilitate the implementation of national strategies through industrial upgrading, and meet people’s aspirations for a better life.
Liu said that Nanshan’s business and development efforts go beyond cultivating the cultural tourism industry and operating a tourism destination. They represent a broader mission of preserving cultural heritage, providing a sanctuary for the soul, and sharing happiness and well-being with the times.
Liu Geng said that the traditional blessing “May your happiness be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountain” has long been closely associated with Nanshan and Sanya, making it a valuable cultural IP.
As population aging deepens and life expectancy rises, the focus is shifting from simply providing for older people to enabling them to enjoy a higher quality of life in their later years. This presents both a social welfare challenge and an opportunity for deeper integration between culture and tourism in Sanya. Liu expressed the hope that Nanshan would give the festival a distinctive Sanya identity and a warmth that visitors could genuinely feel, moving beyond staging an annual event to developing a stronger, more sustainable industry.
Zou Xianfeng, president of the Hainan Tourism Association, noted that the festival has continued to take place year after year for nearly three decades, bringing fresh contemporary meaning to a traditional celebration.
Wang Zhongyun said that the Double Ninth Festival is China’s traditional day for honoring older people. The cultural symbolism of “longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountain” also resonates with Hainan’s growing focus on wellness-oriented stays and health tourism. The province has already issued a local standard, Specifications for Wellness-Oriented Services for Older People Living Away from Home.
Hainan Healthcare and Wellness Expo Launched, New Cooperation Projects Signed
At the opening ceremony, the Hainan Healthcare and Wellness Expo was officially launched by Luan Chun, founding president of the Hainan Society of Healthcare and Wellness, and Gao Rui, deputy Party secretary and general manager of Hainan Nanshan Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd. The two parties will pursue long-term cooperation integrating cultural tourism with medical care, rehabilitation and wellness, with plans to establish the Nanshan Longevity and Blessing Festival–Hainan Healthcare and Wellness Expo as a joint initiative.
A cooperation agreement with Baisha Li Autonomous County was also signed at the event. Ren Zhong, Party secretary of Yacha Town, and Li Baisheng, general manager of Sanya Nanshan International Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Co., Ltd., signed the agreement to jointly establish the Baisha Southern Medicinal Herbs Intangible Cultural Heritage Center. The initiative aims to bring the traditional knowledge of Hainan’s southern medicinal herbs and the millennia-old healing wisdom of the Li people beyond remote mountain communities and into Nanshan.
A New Vision of Longevity for All Ages
According to the organizers, this year’s festival embraces the concept of “comprehensive content, inclusive audiences, diverse settings and experiences for all ages.” Taking advantage of Nanshan’s distinctive setting, with mountains behind and the sea before it, the festival seeks to create a tranquil mountain-and-sea retreat where urban residents can relax, recharge and find inner peace.
The festival’s philosophy is reflected in a range of tangible cultural experiences. At the opening ceremony, a promotional video for the Nanshan Longevity Banquet was screened, alongside a highlights video recapping the Fourth Sanya Nanshan Vegetarian Culture Festival, bringing the concept of longevity and blessings beyond the stage and to the dining table. The program also featured classical and ethnic dance performances, solo singing and a themed poetry recital.
Actors Wang Fuli and Xu Wenguang were appointed ambassadors for the promotion of Nanshan’s longevity and blessing culture.
Cultural Dialogue Explores the Meaning of Happiness and Longevity
The cultural dialogue “Exploring the Way of Blessings at Nanshan” was held in the Auspicious and Good Fortune VIP Lounge at the Nanshan Leisure Club Seaview Hotel, with views of the surrounding mountains and sea.
Liu Bingrui and Liu Geng joined the discussion as principal interlocutors, while Wang Fuli and Xu Wenguang served as keynote speakers. Dozens of invited guests participated in the exchange.
Structured around three themes — “Where Do Longevity and Blessings Come From?”, “A New Voice for Longevity and Blessings” and “Where Are Longevity and Blessings Headed?” — the dialogue produced three shared conclusions: longevity and blessings are not defined by age but represent a way of life that can be actively cultivated; quality of life deserves as much attention as length of life; and mountains and sea can offer urban residents a place of tranquility, making Eastern wisdom about life something people can experience and take home with them.
Honoring Older People: A Tradition Spanning 28 Years
Honoring older people during the Double Ninth Festival has been an enduring tradition of the Nanshan Longevity and Blessing Culture Festival for 28 years.
On October 18, Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone offered public-benefit measures, including free admission, to visitors aged 60 and above from across China. Eligible visitors could enter the scenic area free of charge upon presenting their own identity cards. According to the scenic area’s statistics, approximately 6,300 older visitors benefited from free admission that day.
Over 28 years, Nanshan has transformed a simple blessing into an established cultural festival. What the event seeks to leave behind is not merely a lively celebration, but a way of life that visitors can take home and a commitment they can renew year after year.
Surrounded by mountains, facing the sea and often enveloped in drifting clouds and mist, Nanshan welcomes visitors to experience its unique blend of culture, nature and tranquility.
“Visitors from all directions gather here, while mountains and sea embrace the vibrant rhythms of everyday life. With the sea breeze for company and laughter all around, one finds that true belonging lies in the freedom to simply be.”