Musical Highway Resonates in Kaifeng New Attractions Emerging in Ancient Cities

 

(Zhengzhou, May 4) – Driving along the Yellow River at a speed of approximately 55 km/h, the friction between tires and the road plays melodies like "Justice Bao" and "Devotion to the Nation" as you pass through. 

This year’s May Day holiday saw the opening of the "Yellow River Ancient Capital" No. 1 Tourist Highway in Kaifeng, Henan. On specific sections of the road, innovative technology enables the tires’ friction with the pavement to produce musical tunes, offering passengers the unique experience of "music on the move." 

This special section of the road, spanning 3.5 kilometers, began construction in March. "Travelers feel like they’re moving through a painting, with cars gliding through melodies," said Yue Jie, Director of Kaifeng Highway Development Center. The musical highway is complemented by Song Dynasty cultural-themed landscapes and elements such as Zhuxian Town’s woodblock prints. One endpoint leads to the statue of Yue Fei in Zhuxian Town. The entire "Yellow River Ancient Capital" No. 1 Tourist Highway connects historical and cultural landmarks, including the Grain Transport River Bridge, Yue Fei Temple, and Qifeng Garden. 

In addition to Kaifeng’s musical highway, many other ancient cities have recently launched new attractions centered around their historical areas. For example, visitors can enjoy a Gan architectural light and shadow show along the Nanchang Riverside Promenade near the Tengwang Pavilion. In Anyang, Henan, an archaeological cultural town near the Yin Ruins—the Shang Dynasty capital—draws tourists with its immersive experiences. 

This archaeological town, spanning about 250 acres, features attractions such as the Oracle Bone Script Library, the live performance "Dreams of Yin Ruins," and the Sui Dynasty Xiangzhou Kiln Restoration Hall. Visitors can stroll alongside bronze chariots and figures, explore oracle bone script installations, and touch lamp posts styled after bronze artifacts, feeling as though they’ve returned to the Shang Dynasty. 

Han Lei, a tourist from Xinyang, Henan, visiting the archaeological town, said he watched the performance "Lady Hao Goes to Battle" on the first day of the holiday. What captivated him most was the Archaeological Science Museum, where children could "dig for treasures."

Beyond ancient ruins, some smaller ancient capitals are using citywide planning to integrate their most famous stories into new venues and streets. For example, in Handan, Hebei—the origin of the idiom "Learn Walking in Handan"—visitors explore the Idiom Heritage Garden and purchase idiom-themed cakes in Handan Dao Historical and Cultural Street, as seen in popular posts on Xiaohongshu. 

Cutting-edge technologies like the metaverse and VR (virtual reality) have also inspired new cultural tourism offerings in some ancient capitals. At the "Nishan Sacred Realm" in Qufu, Shandong—the hometown of Confucius—holographic 3D technology allows visitors to "travel with ancient sages" and experience The Analects of Confucius in an interactive format. 

This May Day holiday, many tourists made special trips to explore these new cultural tourism venues and scenes in ancient cities. Roads, promenades, parks, and districts themed around unique histories have gained significant popularity on social media platforms. 

While individual cities showcase their unique attractions, some ancient capitals are collaborating for integrated cultural tourism development. Cities like Zhengzhou, Luoyang, and Kaifeng in Henan formed a regional cultural tourism alliance last year, integrating products, transportation, and marketing to pursue "differentiated development, distinctive features, and complementary advantages," providing new insights for cultural tourism development.