Recently, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Film, and Tourism selected 200 outstanding street performance venues across the province, including five in Haiyan County: Qiyuan Cultural Square, Zhujiamen, Yuanyang Island, Sea-watching Garden, and Tianxian Lake. These venues will serve as cultural icons in the city, offering residents and visitors regular, high-quality artistic performances and creating an experience of “encountering beauty at every corner”, promoting the shared appreciation of art among all citizens.

Street performances are a vital component of urban culture. To enrich the cultural life of the populace, Zhejiang Province launched the “Arts Empowering Beauty” Initiative in 2022. Artistic performances have gradually moved beyond traditional venues and are now regularly held in urban communities, commercial streets, parks, and cultural and museum venues. The five selected venues in Haiyan County exemplify this initiative. They seamlessly integrate Haiyan’s unique historical and cultural heritage with its distinctive landscapes,  merging art with culture, tourism, and other elements, serving as significant showcases of this ancient county’s charm.

Qiyuan Cultural Square, centrally located in the county and adjacent to Qiyuan Scenic Area, is one of Haiyan’s cultural landmarks. Surrounded by a bustling commercial area and numerous cultural and museum venues, the square is easily accessible. It hosts at least two street performances weekly, meeting the cultural needs of residents and tourists while boosting the square’s popularity and influence.

In recent years, Zhujiamen in Liuli Village, Ganpu Town, has combined “Arts Empowering Beauty” Initiative with village renovation and the development of unique cultural industries, creating a cultural and creative hub themed around “celebrity retreat, cultural leisure, and harmonious village.” This has carved a new path emphasizing industry vitality. Over ten renowned artists, including Jin Gang, Bai Di, and Feng Ming, along with 11 cultural studios such as “Yanshang Watercolor Academy” “Baidi Three Shadows” and “Taoyuanming” have settled here, bringing vibrancy to this cultural cluster and sparking a new wave of cultural and tourism integration.

Yuanyang Island, located in Yuanyang Village, Yucheng Town, has launched a series of original programs, including operas, lantern dance carnivals, and village songs, which have been well-received by the public. The village has also explored Yuanyang Island's cultural resources, creating projects around the theme of “love of the mandarin ducks (Yuanyang).” This focus on love culture has established a successful wedding and love culture brand. Yuanyang Island Wetland Forest Park, now an A-level scenic village, attracts numerous tourists with its captivating scenery.

Sea-watching Garden, a distinctive coastal park, is part of China's first national-level water conservancy scenic area themed around sea dykes, linking the sea dyke cultural park and the wetland park. The fish-scale sea dyke in Guanhai Park has withstood centuries of tidal impact, showcasing Haiyan's unique sea dyke culture. Additionally, Guanhai Park offers an excellent viewpoint for sunrises and a unique coastal landscape, drawing many visitors.

Tianxian Lake, located in the county’s core area, boasts a beautiful natural environment and rich cultural atmosphere, serving as a key venue for cultural and leisure activities. With complete facilities and convenient transportation, the area sees high foot traffic, especially on weekends and holidays. Establishing a street performance venue here enriches the cultural life of residents and enhances the city’s cultural appeal, promoting the widespread appreciation and dissemination of art and culture.

In recent years, Haiyan has been vigorously advancing the construction of a new era of cultural development, aligned with the strategic goal of “developing the county through culture and tourism.” The county is focused on enhancing the quality of comprehensive tourism, using the deep integration of culture and tourism as a catalyst to improve the cultural and tourism market’s competitiveness and influence, and accelerating its development as a key leisure and vacation destination in the Yangtze River Delta. This year, Haiyan launched the “Arts Empowering Beauty” Initiative 2.0 three-year action plan, aiming to enhance the creativity, influence, and reputation of branded art activities through initiatives like the “198” all-domain Arts Empowering Beauty work system and the creation of distinctive artistic scenic spots, ultimately achieving universal art popularization and balanced cultural development.