National Trend Meets Amusement Industry: Innovative Practices & Cultural Empowerment
National trend is coming! This consumer wave, underpinned by cultural confidence, is reshaping the amusement industry with its disruptive power. Using amusement as a fulcrum, the national trend is driving an industrial transition from “Made in China” to “Created in China.” The amusement industry, as a carrier of cultural narratives, is thriving now.
Background of the Popularity of National Trend Amusement
Policy Drive National trend becomes a vehicle for cultural confidence to support the integration of traditional culture and modern industries.
Consumer Demand With Generation Z’s growing sense of cultural identity, national trend theme parks that combine aesthetics and experiential experiences are becoming a new necessity.
Industry Upgrade Traditional amusement rides are facing significant homogeneity, while national trend themes are becoming a breakthrough for differentiation.
National Trend Amusement Projects: A Development Model of Integrated Business Formats
Amusement & IPs: Emotional Value Stimulates Consumption
Popular IPs generate their own traffic, often attracting numerous enthusiasts to participate in offline activities. Whether it’s the reproduction of anime scenes, NPCs guiding tourists to participate in interactive activities, or tourists role-playing, the emotional value of IP can stimulate tourists’ enthusiasm and turn it into a driving force for secondary consumption.
Trendy cultural and creative products have become popular souvenirs among young people. After visiting, buying a few cultural and creative products at a souvenir shop as souvenirs or gifts for friends and family has become a “to-do” for young people. It also forms a closed loop of “visit check-in → emotional resonance → consumption conversion”, and becomes a new consumption hotspot for scenic spots and increases their revenue.
Amusement & Education: Traditional Culture Passes Down
The rise of the national trend has transformed recreational activities from simply "fun" to a combination of learning and play. Some intangible cultural heritage projects have also made their way onto the streets, becoming accessible and experiential for ordinary tourists. Young people are learning about traditional culture through these experiences, while also contributing to the legacy of these skills.
Amusement & Media: Online and Offline Linkage
The role of social media in the information age cannot be underestimated. Livestreaming at scenic spots has become the norm. Many scenic spots have set up dedicated livestreaming teams to showcase the real scenery and simultaneously sell special merchandise. The online livestreaming efforts are feeding back offline customer traffic, ultimately boosting annual revenue.
Typical Case: Royal Paradise of Millennium City Park
The Royal Paradise, the core project of the third phase of the Millennium City Park in Kaifeng, Henan Province, was fully completed and opened in September 2024. As the first theme park deeply integrated with Song Dynasty culture in China, it features “culture + technology + entertainment + performances”, providing visitors with an immersive experience.
5 Core Amusement Rides for Immersive Song Dynasty Cultural Experience
Su Shuang Qian LiLong Teng Gu WuHua Deng Chu ShangFeng Wu Jiu TianShen Zhou Chu Hai
Su Shuang Qian Li
Features: As the world’s largest and China’s first Song Dynasty-themed carousel with 108 seats, it is inspired by Yue Fei’s warhorse.
Experience: Visitors ride on a horse-shaped ride that simulates the magnificent scene of Yue Fei’s army deploying troops.
Long Teng Gu Wu
Features: A 40-passenger high-speed roller coaster featuring a Song Dynasty drumming theme with a giant-dragon-shaped track.
Experience: Accompanied by dynamic music, visitors experience the thrill of soaring through the clouds.
Feng Wu Jiu Tian
Features: A flying fire phoenix turntable that combines 360° rotation with eccentric rotation.
Experience: Its cabin feels like a soaring phoenix and offers panoramic views of the park.
Hua Deng Chu Shang
Features: A 48-person rotating samba balloon, it is inspired by Song Dynasty lanterns.
Experience: Accompanied by dynamic music, visitors experience the thrill of soaring through the clouds.
Shen Zhou Chu Hai
Features: A 50-passenger pirate ship ride, recreating the “Shenzhou” vessel used in Song Dynasty diplomatic missions.
Experience: The hanging basket swirls and floats under centrifugal force, and also combined with lighting to create a romantic atmosphere.
6 Key Successful Elements as A Model of Cultural & Tourism Integration
Creative Transformation of Song Culture
Based on the Northern Song Dynasty painting “Along the River During the Qingming Festival” by Zhang Zeduan, the spot transforms the static scroll into a dynamic cultural experience space and deeply integrates more than 20 national intangible cultural heritage items. Visitors can feel the market culture of the Song Dynasty as soon as they enter the park.
Technology Empowerment
The scenic spot introduces a 5D dome theater to reproduced the grand scenery of Bianjing through 360° naked-eye 3D, and combines with somatosensory equipment to simulate flight. It receives more than 2,000 visitors per day and is selected as a national smart tourism immersive pilot project.
Performance System Innovation
The scenic area has developed a performance system that emphasizes “stunning large-scale performances, exquisite medium-scale performances, and spectacular small-scale performances”:
Live-action horse battles, featuring real horses and live action recreating historical scenes.
Water-based live-action show drives 45% of nighttime revenue.
Full-time Coverage
In 2017, the scenic spot pioneered the “Night Tour of Millennium City Park” and extended its business hours to 18 hours. With daytime entertainment + nighttime live performances, Daytime entertainment + nighttime live performances, its nighttime experience more enriched, and nighttime revenue increased by 116% compared to 2019.
Diversified Revenue
Through the complex business model of “catering + accommodation + cultural and creative products + wedding”, spot reduces the dependence on ticket prices. Visitors to the park can not only taste Kaifeng’s special food, experience the Song Dynasty Inn, but also purchase more than 200 special gifts.
High-quality Media Marketing
The bilingual promotional video launched by the scenic spot in 2023 has been exposed 1.16 billion times overseas, received praise from embassies of many countries. Also, it has been exposed nearly 10 billion times on the entire network, forming an international influence.
Innovative Application Strategies for National Trend Elements
In-depth Development of Themed IPs
Revitalizing Classic IPs: Integrating classic domestic film and television IPs, recreating iconic scenes from the original works, and creating an immersive experience that brings film and television into the real world.
Incubating Original IPs: To enhance visitors’ interactive experiences, some scenic spots have launched interactive experiences. For example, pedaling a bicycle triggers light and shadow projections and dynamically presents local cultural symbols to achieve a triple linkage of “sports, technology, and culture.”
Fusion of Traditional Crafts and Technology
Intangible Cultural Heritage + Digital Technology: Some scenic spots are integrating intangible cultural heritage skills like magic and acrobatics with augmented reality technology to recreate mythological scenes for enhancing viewing pleasure.
Technology Empowers Interaction: Original trendy toy IPs are gaining popularity worldwide. Some are even integrating them with advanced technologies to enhance the IP’s technological appeal and playability.
Scenario-Based Narrative Design
Time-Travel Narrative: A unique retro setting, actors in period costumes, and a dramatic drama unfold. Scenes from the past present before eyes, while, visitors, as spectators, witness the unfolding story.
Role-Surrole Immersion: A script-based experience. Visitors become the protagonists of the story and participate in the puzzle-solving process, transforming the experience from “watching the performance” to “starring in the show.”
Risk Aversion for National Trend Amusement
Avoid Piling up Elements China’s traditional culture is rich and colorful, but the integration of culture and entertainment is not a simple piling up of various traditional elements, but rather a display of the cultural core.
Focus on Property Rights Protection While avoiding plagiarism, cultural and tourism-related industries must also effectively protect their intellectual property rights and prevent IP theft.
Carry out Differentiated Cultural Expression Even the same culture can be expressed in different ways in different regions. Properly highlighting cultural differences can help avoid the homogenization of cultural products.
Future Outlook: Multi-dimensional Development of National Trend Amusement Industry
With the deep integration of technology, the national trend amusement industry is developing rapidly, and countless overseas opportunities have also demonstrated its commercial globalization potential. It is not only a technological advancement, but also a reflection of cultural confidence. In the future, it will be multi-dimensional, dynamically linking multiple fields such as technology, culture, education, and commerce.If you also want to build your own national trend amusement park, welcome to cooperate with Beston Rides!