Hangzhou in Zhejiang province launched a joint cultural tourism initiative on Oct 21, bringing together 13 cities historically connected to the Wuyue Kingdom to promote shared heritage through four cross-regional themed routes and 13 city-level itineraries.

The 2026 global promotion campaign, themed around tracing Wuyue roots in Hangzhou, was launched at Qianwang Temple. For the first time, Hangzhou joined tourism authorities from Fuzhou, Suzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Shaoxing, Huzhou, Jiaxing, Jinhua, Quzhou, Taizhou, and Lishui, along with representatives from other participating cities, to promote the region's shared history.

At its height during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907-960), the Wuyue Kingdom governed 13 prefectures and one military district, covering present-day Zhejiang province and Shanghai, as well as Suzhou in Jiangsu province and parts of northeastern Fujian province.

The initiative builds on Hangzhou's efforts this year to promote Wuyue culture through heritage-themed attractions, food guides, public transport routes, exhibitions, cultural products, and historical costume displays. Ye Hong, deputy director of Hangzhou municipal bureau of culture, radio, television and tourism, said the shared heritage provides a cultural link across the Jiangnan region and between Zhejiang and Fujian, opening new opportunities for cross-regional cooperation.

The routes aim to turn the region's thousand-year-old history into accessible travel experiences.