Major projects serve as the “ballast” for economic stable development and the “powerful engine” for high-quality development. Currently, Jiaxing implements a large number of major projects to secure this year’s targets can be achieved.

Jiaxing Daily and “Dujia News Client” launch an “On-Site Research Column for Major Projects” to implement the guideline of Zhejiang’s first meeting in 2025 on “Faithfully Practicing ‘Eight-Eight Development Strategy’ and Building a Demonstration Zone for Common Prosperity through High-quality Development”, and the requirements of the conference jointly attended by Jiaxing’s municipal-level, county-level and town-level cadres on “Implementing ‘Six Dedication’ Guideline, Shouldering Responsibilities and Accelerating the Building of Jiaxing as a Vital Central City of the City Cluster of the Yangtze River Delta”. This column will, through in-depth investigations, report innovative measures and moving stories on these major projects, analyze their progress and impact, showcase Jiaxing’s practices in implementing the “Six Dedication” Guideline and consolidate the strong momentum of Jiaxing as a vital economic city in advancing economic development.  

On the vast shores of the East China Sea, the Qiantang River winds south like a giant dragon. Near its estuary lies Yanguan at the north bank of the Qiantang River, a globally renowned town for its tidal spectacles.  

On September 9 last year, part of “Ancient Yanguan Town · A Music Bore City” (herein after referred to as the “ancient town”) with the music as its theme, was opened to the public. Over the past five months, it attracted 652,600 visits, carving a new path for Haining’s high-quality development through culture-tourism integration, and enriched local culture brand “Welcome to Jiaxing, a City with the Best Ancient Towns in China”.

Over a quarter of China’s nationally recognized ancient towns are located in the Yangtze River Delta. How to achieve differentiated development?

How can a water town tell a compelling musical story? How can cultural IPs attract young tourists? How to make tidal spectacles attract both crowds and stimulate their consumption enthusiasm? To explore these questions, the reporter embarked on a three-day investigation at this ancient town Yanguan since February 25, 2025.

From Austria to Yanguan Town

The words “art” and “musicians” seem to have nothing to do with ancient towns. Yet in Yanguan, there is a Music Resort Hotel that integrates art, musician and traditional Chinese culture.

Walking across the entrance to the ancient town and through its south and north sections, the reporter came to Music Resort Hotel located near the Qiantang River on February 25.

At the hotel lobby with wave-shaped walls and an archway-shaped corridor, the reporter found himself before a golden opera house. Descending from the left side of the lobby, the reporter then got to Music House, the only Austrian-certified interactive music museum in Asia and the third of its kind in the world.  

The elaborately spiral design inside the Music House seems to dislocate time and space, and the endless winding corridor embodies musical scales and surging tides. The Music House features five zones respectively for historical exhibitions, great musician introduction, interactive games, immersive experiences and dining. On November 27 last year, it was inaugurated with the Austrian Ambassador to China in attendance, serving as a witness to the fusion of Eastern and Western musical traditions.  

In the tranquil exhibition hall, holographic images of seven musical masters of the world - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Johann Strauss II, Brahms, and Gustav Mahler - float in the darkness, and their rotating digital statues attract the reporter to delve deeper into their musical worlds.

Guided by Gu Zhoulu, director of the ancient town, the reporter experienced immersive interactions at the Music House. From the sound-responsive Piano Path where each step resonates with notes to the immersive virtual conductor experiences, and to the creative Waltz Dice composition game that may spark musical inspiration, the reporter felt the seamless integration of traditional music into modern technologies and fully immersed himself in the multidimensional charm of music.

In recent years, the exhibition of many art galleries and museums has been transitioning towards immersive experiences. The distinctive feature of the Music House is that its integration of multimedia and digital technologies does not overshadow the exhibits themselves, but helps audiences immerse themselves in the artistic world. “Introducing the Music House to the ancient town signifies that the future development of this ancient town will introduce more cultural projects and products to the market based on this standard,” said Gu Zhoulu.

The rooms of the Music Resort Hotel are also embellished ingeniously with musical elements such as pipa-shaped ornaments, musical instrument-shaped wall lamps, and floor lamps evolved from vintage record players, which makes sophisticated musical art more accessible rather than esoteric. Besides, the rooms’ carpets inspired by instrument strings, wallpapers derived from sound waves, and open wardrobes resembling recording studios, etc. compose a charming musical score. The outdoor infinity pool on the fifth floor of the Hotel offers a breathtaking panorama where the river, pool water and sky blend harmoniously, framing a picturesque view of the Qiantang River.

“I had thought the museum was just a gimmick of the Hotel, but it turned out to be a thoughtfully curated exhibition,” said Ms. Wu from Jing’an District, Shanghai, who visited the ancient town for the second time with her 6-year-old son. Highly interactive experiences at the Hotel particularly delighted her. Inspired by the trip, she shared her impressions with her fans in the form of travelogues through “rednote”. Flipping through photos on her phone, she marveled, “It’s not far from Shanghai– here you can enjoy spectacular water curtain shows, unique charm of the ancient musical town, and magnificent Qiantang Bore, so it is truly a perfect family-friendly destination.”

From a tide-watching destination to a music town: one of the largest indoor theaters in the world settles in the ancient town.

As a historic town themed on musical culture, Yanguan preserves traditional water town culture,and embraces new contents aligned with modern consumer demands.

The ancient town retains numerous historic buildings such as opulent and temple-like Sea God Temple, stately and imposing Residence of Senior Official Chen, and serene and culturally rich Wang Guowei’s Former Residence, which are all cultural heritage sites under state protection and silently document the ebb and flow of the town. Moreover, newly built modern buildings like Tide City Art Center and Universal Grand Theater can host diverse music events.

According to Gu Zhoulu, culture and tourism of the ancient town are not about blind nostalgia for the past. “We remain deeply rooted in Chinese cultural traditions and Chinese music history to amplify the influence of our national musical heritages. However, when we operate a modern ancient town, we must balance its livability and functionality. In terms of musical programming, the ancient town will not be confined to a single genre—it aims to encompass diverse musical styles and traditions all over the world. The Qiantang Bore and music itself evoke boundless imagination. Over the next decade or two, we will continuously introduce performance projects, including music festivals, to infuse the ancient town with enduring artistic vitality.”

Adjacent to the Music Resort Hotel, the Tide City Art Center stands as a culturally rich platform. As one of the world’s largest specialized indoor theaters, the Center spans a total floor area of 28,460 square meters, with two above-ground levels and one underground level. Its grand auditorium boasts 2,752 seats. Viewed from above, the undulating building looks like the relentless surge of the Qiantang Bore.

“The architectural design draws inspiration from the eternal surging Qiantang Bore. Through parametric design techniques and meticulous designs, we aim to create a sculptural and artistically vibrant landmark,” said Gu Zhoulu, while pulling up the photos of this building’s nighttime light displays on the phone. As night falls, lights and architecture merge seamlessly. Dynamic lighting effects vividly demonstrate the ever-changing Qiantang Bore; sometimes it is serene, and sometimes it is powerfully turbulent with shimmering waves.

What’s the vision behind for building such a grand theater?

The answer lies in its versatility. The theater’s stage can be expanded into a T-shaped runway or a central stage, enabling it to host various events, like concerts, fashion shows, etc. in addition to traditional theatrical performances. Besides, there are venues for “City Wall Concert” and a black box theater doubling as a rehearsal hall inside the theater, further solidifying its role as a multifaceted hub for music and arts.

On January 1, 2025, Swedish musician Robert Wells mesmerized audiences here with his New Year’s concert “Rhapsody in Rock.” With its more modern design and youth-oriented performance, the ancient town has enriched its consumer scenarios.

Music boosts prosperity of the ancient town. During the Spring Festival holiday this year, the ancient town became more popular for its charming culture and tourism. Visitors were captivated by such events as “Good Fortune Market” “‘Gold Coin Distribution Parade of Wealth God’ and ‘Senior Official Chen’”, drum performance, dragon and lion dances, and “Chinese Knot Wish Wall”-based real-time blessings. Statistics showed that 80 events were organized in the ancient town every day in the whole holiday; 100,000 visitors were attracted, and nearly 70% of hotels occupied.

“I finally came to watch the Qiantang Bore described in my textbook in real life!” said Li Xiaoran, a travel blogger from Hangzhou, whom the reporter came across. On the recommendation of his friend, he explored the ancient town and was struck by its cascading tidal walls, majestic Sea God Temple and immersive music experiences.

“It’s absolutely mind-blowing; it is a totally rewarding trip,” he exclaimed. “It is hands down the most captivating ancient town near Hangzhou.”

The promising future of the extraordinary ancient town

Today, it has become a tourist destination for music enthusiasts. With the theme of “Surging Qiantang Bore, Charming Jiangnan” and three focuses “Qianlong Emperor IP” “Tide Music Socializing” and “Musical Healing”, the ancient town will launch six initiatives this spring: Traveling Jiangnan with Qianlong Emperor, Enjoying Daytime Melodies and Nighttime Tides, Happy Journeys in Jiangnan, Timeless Sound Journeys, Children’s Musical Adventures and Wellness through Tide Music, which aims to bring groundbreaking experiences to visitors.

As to the ancient town’s future, Chen Xianghong, mastermind of the ancient town ever shared in a media interview, “A music town is a poetic life paradise. Our vision extends beyond concert halls and outdoor festivals. It is mainly to create a favorable environment through music. As a town where concert halls echo daily and streets hum with melodious songs, it will attract the young, and will become more extraordinary.”

From conceptualization in 2016 to its debut in 2024, the ancient town has evolved from a blueprint to reality.

Currently, 50% of the ancient town is open to the public, and developers are racing to complete the rest. Of all projects under construction, Theater OPÉRA DES NATIONS stands out.

Originally it was Théâtre de la Comédie-Française, an 18th-century wooden theater in Paris’s Royal Garden; in 2014 it was dismantled, and then relocated in Geneva’s Place des Nations near the UN headquarters, and was reborn as the Theater OPÉRA DES NATIONS. In 2021, Yanguan Resort acquired it and began to transport it to China. On June 15, 2022, after an 8-month voyage, nearly 60 containers of its components and 6,000 cubic meters of spruce materials arrived the ancient town safely. Today, the its topping-out is to be completed, with its wooden structures being assembled and curtain walls to be installed.

“Theater OPÉRA DES NATIONS is one of the most anticipated highlights of the future ancient town. In addition, more diverse business forms will be introduced to transform the town into a new hub for music enthusiasts,” said Gu Mingyue, director of Economic Development Department of Yanguan Resort. Now the ancient town is discussing with Dragon TV, Mango TV, iQiyi, Taihe Music Group, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, etc., to establish the ancient town’s music IP.

“At present, we are working for the re-evaluation of the national 4A-level scenic area and applying for 5A-level status, and coordinating cultural heritage preservation with tourism development to ensure visitors enjoy an enhanced experience as soon as possible,” added Gu Mingyue, gazing at the surging Qiantang Bore as she outlined the ancient town’s development plan.  

Within less than six months, the ancient town has already significantly boosted local employment and cultural tourism consumption. As it continues to open up, it will unleash greater appeal, and amplify the charm of its ‘tide culture’ and ‘music culture’.

A golden development path is taking shape. The Yanguan Station has been put into operation for Hangzhou-Haining Intercity Railway that runs through Haining City. In the future, the Yanguan Station for Watertown Tourism Intercity Railway and the Haining Station for Hangzhou Airport High-Speed Railway will be completed, opening imaginative possibilities for the ancient town’s development.