"Xiaohongshu Report: Foreign Travel Notes in China Surge 5x, Intangible Cultural Heritage Becomes Top Trend"
On April 28, 2026, Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) released its 2026 Foreigners Travel China Trend Report, revealing a stunning shift in how international visitors experience China. Over the past year, travel-related notes published by foreign users on the platform surged 5 times year-on-year. Foreign visitors have now left footprints in nearly 500 Chinese cities, and the defining trend is no longer sightseeing — it is immersive intangible cultural heritage (ICH) experiences.
By the Numbers: A Market Transformed
| Metric | Data | Year-on-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign user travel notes on Xiaohongshu | — | +500% |
| Cities visited by foreign travelers | ~500 | Significant expansion to tier-2/3/county-level |
| Ctrip inbound museum/ICH experience bookings | — | +13% |
| Ctrip overseas-language cultural product orders | — | +63% |
| Qingming Festival inbound ICH-related orders | — | +540% |
| Foreign visitor transactions (May Day 2026) | Volume: +45.15%, Amount: +36.96% | — |
The data tells a clear story: the inbound traveler is no longer content with checking landmarks off a list. They are staying longer, going deeper, and seeking experiences that cannot be captured in a photograph.
Intangible Cultural Heritage: The New Magnet
ICH experiences have emerged as the single most powerful driver of inbound tourism satisfaction and repeat visits. The report and supporting field reporting highlight several standout cases:
Weifang Kites, Shandong: Thai tourist Voracha came specifically to the "Kite Capital of the World" to experience traditional kite-making. Under the guidance of a master craftsman, he completed the entire process — bamboo framing, paper stretching, and painting — and watched his own kite take flight. "At this moment, I truly feel I have arrived in the hometown of kites," he said.
Hongcun Village, Anhui: Norwegian tourist Parker joined the village's flower-lantern night parade, holding a handmade fish lantern and walking the cobblestone alleys. The immersive atmosphere, he said, was "a world apart" from watching videos online. During the Spring Festival period, Hongcun saw French, Canadian, and Singaporean visitors increase by 300%, 233%, and 400% respectively.
Chaozhou, Guangdong: Spanish visitor Juli dressed in traditional Yingge dance costume, painted her own face mask, and learned the dance's signature moves from a local master. The city's inbound visitor arrivals surged 500% year-on-year as of mid-April 2026, driven by its dense cluster of ICH assets: Yingge dance, Chaozhou embroidery, Chaoju opera, and wood carving.
Wangxian Valley, Jiangxi: American visitor Marcus joined a Nuo dance immersive experience, wearing a traditional Nuo mask and learning classic dance steps around a bonfire. Inbound visitor numbers at Wangxian Valley increased by 273% compared to 2023.
The Four Macro Trends
Xiaohongshu's report identifies four structural shifts in how foreign travelers engage with China:
- Destination Diversification — From the traditional "one gateway city + one scenic spot" model to journeys spanning nearly 500 cities, including county-level destinations. Top-5 rising-star cities: Zhengzhou, Taiyuan, Guiyang, Fuzhou, and Yiwu.
- Information Transparency — Foreign travelers now research China extensively on Chinese social platforms before departure. Xiaohongshu has effectively become the "first stop" for trip planning. English-language travel guide notes increased nearly 7x year-on-year.
- Experiential Lifestyle Integration — Travelers are no longer satisfied with being spectators. They join local morning exercises, shop at wet markets, take pottery classes, and learn to make dumplings. The boundary between "traveler" and "temporary local" is dissolving.
- Scenic Mosaic — Instead of one iconic landscape, travelers are curating multi-destination itineraries that layer natural beauty, cultural depth, and hands-on experiences.
Government-Backed "Hello! China" Initiative Gains Steam
The private-platform trend is reinforced by a government-led push. In late 2024, UnionPay International signed a cooperation intent letter with the China Foreign Exchange Center (under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) to build the "Hello! China" inbound tourism partner program, focusing on payment facilitation for foreign visitors — a historically cited pain point.
During the 2026 May Day holiday, foreign visitor payment transaction volume and value increased by 45.15% and 36.96% respectively compared to the same period in 2025, indicating that payment barriers are rapidly being dismantled.
Why This Matters for the Industry
For hotels, tour operators, and destination managers, the ICH trend represents a fundamental shift in product design priorities. The most successful inbound products in 2026 are not those that include the most landmarks, but those that include the most participatory cultural moments.
Ctrip data shows that 70% of the top 10 inbound scenic spots in China now feature ICH elements. Products that combine accommodation with ICH workshops — such as Tujia tie-dye in Guizhou, Nuo dance in Jiangxi, or kite-making in Shandong — are achieving significantly higher repeat-intent scores and organic social media mentions.
What Travelers Should Know
For foreign visitors planning a China trip in 2026-2027, the key takeaway is that booking ahead for ICH experiences is essential. Many workshops have limited daily capacity and are increasingly discovery through Xiaohongshu and Ctrip by international visitors.
Popular ICH experiences that require advance booking include:
- Weifang kite-making workshops (Shandong)
- Huizhou ink and brush carving (Anhui)
- Chaozhou Yingge dance workshops (Guangdong)
- Guizhou Tujia tie-dye workshops (Guizhou)
- Xinjiang traditional wooden ski-making (Altay)
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