Recently, the third landmark projects under construction for Cultural Gene Activation Initiative of Zhejiang were announced, and Scenic Area of Qiyuan made the list.

Cultural Gene Activation Initiative of Zhejiang were launched in 2020 and has gone through two phases: “decoding” and “activation”. From 2020 to 2023, the Initiative focused on “decoding”, aiming for the in-depth excavation, research and interpretation of outstanding traditional culture of Zhejiang. Starting in 2024, the Initiative entered the “activation”, aiming to establish a cultural gene database by 2026, map out significant cultural genes, foster 10 plus province-wide cultural identifiers and 100 plus activation landmark projects of culture genes to create distinctive cultural achievements that showcase Zhejiang’s identity.

Profound in culture, Scenic Area of Qiyuan used to be a private garden of Huang Xieqing, a poet of the late Qing Dynasty (1636-1911), and now it is one of “China’s Top 10 Gardens” and an important heritage site under state protection. Famous garden expert Professor Chen Congzhou praised it as “the best garden in Zhejiang” for its unique water design theory that water flows around mountains and mountains come alive with water. As a national 4A-level tourist attraction, this scenic area has been identified as one of the seventh “Famous Historical and Cultural Towns, Villages and Blocks of Zhejiang”. It integrates ten scenic spots like Qiyuan Garden, Zhangyuanji Library and Haiyan Museum, and has developed into a new urban culture-tourism complex for sightseeing, leisure, cultural exhibitions and shopping.