During the May Day holiday, Taijiang, a small county in Qiandongnan, experienced a tourism surge. Even hotels in the county town were overwhelmed, with full occupancy on May 1st and over 90% occupancy rates in the following two days.
As the "Top Miao Ethnic County" and the birthplace of "Village BA," Taijiang was exceptionally lively this May Day. From April 30th to May 5th, the national-level intangible cultural heritage "Miao Sister Festival" coincided with the "Village BA" games. Preliminary statistics show impressive figures: 544,900 tourist visits over five days, a 36.57% year-on-year increase, generating total tourism revenue of 711 million yuan.
Festivities and sports created a vibrant atmosphere. This year, Taijiang's highlight was "dual-driven" activities. Throughout the streets, the Sister Festival showcased millennia-old Miao traditions. Right after the opening ceremony's song and dance performances, a grand parade with tens of thousands in traditional attire followed. Costumes from nine Miao branches flowed through the streets like colorful clouds, with silver ornaments jingling and embroidered pieces glinting. A tourist remarked, "This isn't just a parade; it's a moving intangible heritage museum."
Meanwhile, antiphonal singing along the Wengni River blended with long-table banquets in Laotun Township. Welcome drinks and "High Mountain Flowing Water" toast rituals were performed repeatedly. The long-table banquets in the county and surrounding towns alone hosted over 6,800 people, generating nearly 50,000 yuan in revenue.
A few kilometers away in Taipan Village, the "Village BA" fever remained undiminished. The 2026 "Village BA" Champion Bull Cup National Basketball Invitational Tournament saw intense matches from afternoon until late night, with open bleachers fully packed. Ultimately, the Guangdong Dalang team successfully defended their title, with cheers even drowning out the referee's whistle. The boxing arena at the county's Sister Square was equally thrilling, with 74 fierce matches over three days drawing continuous applause from spectators.
Intangible heritage came alive, encouraging visitors to stay longer. "I used to just pass through Taijiang briefly, but now I want to settle in," became a common sentiment among tourists. In Shidong Ancient Town, visitors learned weaving from Miao grandmothers; in Laotun Township's Changtan Village, folk customs and wedding experience activities proved captivating. With 14 national-level intangible cultural heritages, Taijiang transformed these from display items into tangible, participatory experiences. Embroidered handbags and silver ornament pendants became popular souvenirs, and even sister rice, typically seen only during festivals, was vacuum-packed for tourists to take nationwide.
Data provided clear evidence: tourists' average stay in Taijiang extended to 2.5 days this year. The accommodation sector achieved 65.885 million yuan in revenue, up 12.4% year-on-year; catering revenue reached 160 million yuan; retail growth surged 22.5%. Intangible cultural heritage economy is translating into real income here.
Behind the bustling scenes, services ensured smooth operations. With massive crowds, maintaining order became the top priority. Before the holiday, cultural tourism, public security, fire protection, and market regulation departments had already intensified inspections at venues and scenic spots, conducting thorough hazard checks. Targeting issues like unreasonably low-priced tours and illegal transport, joint law enforcement teams conducted spot rectifications, deploying 104 officers throughout the holiday with zero tourism safety incidents reported.
To ensure visitor convenience, 35 temporary parking lots with over 10,000 spaces were urgently added around the county and Taipan area. More than 200 volunteers stationed at 14 service points served not only as guides but also as "emergency responders"—helping with routes, accommodations, and even providing spare charging cables. A tourist commented on social media: "Crowded but orderly—that's Taijiang's confidence."
The buzz extended beyond physical presence to online platforms. Statistics show 215 media outlets at various levels focused coverage here, with national media like Xinhua News Agency and CCTV reporting extensively. Live broadcasts of five core events accumulated 38.7 million views, peaking at 1.26 million concurrent viewers. Topics on Douyin, Kuaishou, and Weibo repeatedly trended, with total online exposure exceeding 1.85 billion views.
"Next, we will further polish the Sister Festival and 'Village BA' IPs," stated local cultural tourism officials. Their goal is not only to increase Taijiang's visibility but also to promote Miao culture more broadly, adding momentum to rural revitalization.