Recently, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, issued the "Suzhou Three-Year Action Plan (2026-2028) for Accelerating the Development of an International Tourism Destination with the Characteristics of a Jiangnan Water Town," which outlines eight major actions and deploys 25 key tasks, drawing a blueprint for the development of Suzhou's cultural tourism.

According to the plan, Suzhou will leverage its rich Jiangnan cultural heritage to promote the utilization and development of its resources, including gardens, Taihu Lake, and ancient water towns, while ensuring their preservation and inheritance, thus creating a distinctive international tourist destination in the Jiangnan water region. By 2028, Suzhou's core cultural and tourism indicators will rank among the top in the province and the nation, with a significant enhancement in the brand influence, market appeal, and international communication of "Paradise on Earth, the Most Beautiful Jiangnan," achieving a leapfrog development in the cultural and tourism industry.

Suzhou will systematically advance the construction of "One Core, Two Belts, and Four Zones," creating a cultural tourism core in the ancient city, building the Grand Canal cultural tourism belt and the Yangtze River cultural and ecological tourism belt, and upgrading the Taihu Lake scenic resort area, the Yangcheng Lake rural ecological tourism area, the Jinji Lake modern urban tourism area, and the water town cluster area. Cultural tourism products will be further upgraded, exploring the cultural connotations of classical gardens and enhancing the reputation of Suzhou gardens; the construction of "Suzhou Taihu Lake · Jiangnan Scenic Spots" will be promoted, upgrading high-quality water tour routes such as the ancient city moat and the Grand Canal; and guiding ancient towns such as Zhouzhuang, Tongli, and Luzhi to form a "one town, one specialty" pattern. The protection and utilization of cultural heritage will be revitalized, the living inheritance of intangible cultural heritage will be deepened, the achievements of the "Shanhua Award" and the branding of "Suzhou Crafts and Works" will be promoted, and the Jiangnan Culture (Suzhou) Ecological Protection Zone will be built. (Source: Guangming Daily)