Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/-GrSB1Ad9Nc
On September 1, the opening ceremony of the 2025 Guangyuan Daughters’ Festival was held in grand style. A spectacular parade of decorated boats recreated the historic scene of Empress Wu Zetian’s river tour, vividly capturing her imperial presence. Tens of thousands of citizens and visitors from across China and abroad recorded and livestreamed the festivities, immersing themselves in the joyous atmosphere.
The Guangyuan Daughters’ Festival is a traditional folk celebration honoring Wu Zetian, China’s only female emperor, who was born in Guangyuan over 1,300 years ago. Legend has it that she initiated the folk custom of “women touring the river bay on the 23rd day of the first lunar month.” In 1988, Guangyuan officially revived the festival, naming it the “Daughters’ Festival” and setting the date as September 1 each year. Since then, it has been successfully celebrated 36 times, with this year marking its 37th edition.
The 2025 Guangyuan Daughters’ Festival and Cultural Week, themed “Welcoming Guests from Around the World, Dreaming of the New Shu Road,” features a diverse program of cultural, artistic, sports, and trade activities. Highlights include the decorated boat parade, the 2025 China (Guangyuan) International Dragon Boat Race, the “Zhao in Motion” mass parade, the “Daughters’ Festival Night” with drone, fireworks, and light shows, the “Singing on the Jialing River” choral event, night tours of Xifeng Lake, the “National Style Daughters” citywide costume event, the National Fitness Yangko (Drum) Competition (Guangyuan stop), and the Wanda Plaza “100,000 Volts+” Music Festival, among many others.
Over the years, the Guangyuan Daughters’ Festival has continually renewed itself, integrating Shu Road culture, Three Kingdoms culture, Red Army culture, and folk traditions. It has become an important stage for showcasing women’s charm, carrying historical memory, and promoting openness and cooperation. Today, it stands as a vital cultural window that reflects both tradition and modern spirit, and has grown into a distinctive cultural brand of Guangyuan—extending from the city to the nation, and onto the world.
Guangyuan, historically known as Lizhou, has long been regarded as the “Gateway to Northern Sichuan and the Throat of the Shu Road.” With over 7,000 years of civilization and more than 2,300 years of urban history, it is one of the cradles of Bashu culture. It is the birthplace of Wu Zetian and a living showcase of ancient plank road and Shu Road culture, as well as a key corridor of Three Kingdoms history. The city is home to 45 national tourist attractions, including one 5A-level site—the Jianmen Pass of the Shu Road—and 22 4A-level scenic areas. The Jianmen Shu Road has been listed as a candidate for UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage.
Today, Guangyuan is working tirelessly to enhance its cultural tourism brands of “Jianmen Shu Road, Hometown of the Empress, Red Land, and Wellness Destination.” The city is accelerating the development of the Great Shu Road International Cultural Tourism Destination and a premium wellness resort area, striving to establish itself as a truly international tourism city.
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