Jiangsu opens 2026 Yangtze River Culture Festival in Yonglian

ZHANGJIAGANG, China, Nov. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2026 Yangtze River Culture Festival opened on October 30 in Yonglian Village, Nanfeng Town, Zhangjiagang, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, bringing communities together to celebrate the culture of the river that connects them. The festival is jointly hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Suzhou Municipal People's Government. It is co-organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Suzhou Municipal Committee, the Suzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, and the Zhangjiagang Municipal People's Government.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Yangtze River Economic Belt initiative. The festival brings culture and tourism together to draw visitors and support local economies. At the opening ceremony, organizers unveiled Jiangsu's autumn and winter lineup of cultural events, tourism activities and visitor incentives at a presentation titled "Charm of Jiangsu, Tides of the Yangtze." They also introduced curated itineraries for exploring the Yangtze River Delta's smaller cities by high-speed rail. The event highlighted activities and achievements from Suzhou's 2026 East Asian Capital of Culture program. Participants also signed agreements for cultural and tourism projects.

Thirteen village Party secretaries each brought water from the stretch of the Yangtze River flowing through their respective hometowns. Joined by guests, they used the water in a ceremony to formally open the festival—a vivid expression of the river that binds their communities together. Two exhibitions, including Art Without Borders: A Joint Exhibition of Works from Community Collaborative Art Museums, opened at the Yonglian Art Museum that day.

Held annually since 2004, the Yangtze River Culture Festival has featured more than 200 activities and reached a combined online and in-person audience of over 500 million. Under the theme "Integration, Promotion and Sharing," this year's festival features three main programs: "Exploring the Yangtze," "Celebrating Yangtze Culture" and "An Open Yangtze." Visitors can discover smaller cities on the Yangtze River Delta's high-speed rail network, take part in RV camping exchanges along the river, and explore the "Guardians of the Yangtze" market, which brings living cultural traditions, folk customs, local specialties and shopping together. Running through November 29, the festival invites visitors to explore the cultural richness of the Yangtze River basin through events and experiences across the region.