As part of the 2026 Shanghai-Lu'an Culture and Tourism Carnival, a tourism promotion event was held over the weekend at Shanghai United Media Group, aiming to deepen cooperation and showcase the ecological and cultural charm of Lu'an in neighboring Anhui Province.

The 2026 Shanghai-Lu'an Culture and Tourism Carnival Experience Season, featuring 800 consumption-boosting activities across eight series, was launched during the event.

Shanghai and Lu'an will present four carnivals this year under the themes of "spring mountains, summer serenity, autumn harvest and winter discovery."

Lu'an unveiled four spring tourist routes integrating sightseeing, wellness and intangible cultural heritage. They cover immersive performances, low-altitude flight, hot spring and tea experiences, making it a preferred weekend getaway for Shanghai travelers.

A major highlight of the event was the debut of key cultural tourism projects during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), followed by the signing of strategic cooperation agreements between cultural tourism authorities and enterprises from Shanghai and Lu'an. The deals cover cultural relics protection, tourism development and tourist source exchanges.

An on-site cultural market showcased local specialties such as Lu'an guapian, a famous green tea; Huoshan dendrobe; and intangible cultural heritage handicrafts, while an exhibition of outstanding cultural tourism photography works displayed the natural beauty of the Dabie Mountains.

Thanks to the pairing of Shanghai and Lu'an that began in 2022, Lu'an received 2.79 million tourist visits from Shanghai in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 4.62 percent, making Shanghai its major source of out-of-province tourists.

Lu'an is a popular destination in the Yangtze River Delta region.

In spring, the Wangchun Valley is enveloped with magnolias, brilliant and colorful; in summer, rafting experiences bring cool and refreshing summer relief; while in autumn, a hike in Jinzhai County in the Dabie Mountains, which boasts the Tiantangzhai Scenic Area, is recommended.

Other tourist attractions include the Wanfo Lake scenic area, the Yanzi River Grand Canyon, and the Longjin Wetland.