Intangible cultural heritage, landscapes, and a legendary melon captivate audiences across China — and beyond
— When the fragrance of Hami melons drifted through Xi’an’s Yongxingfang, when Hami embroidery graced the red carpet of the Shanghai Film & TV Festival, and when diplomats in the Forbidden City were captivated by an evening of “sweetness and stars” — a city-branding campaign that crossed half of China had turned “There is a sweetness called Hami” from a slogan into a cultural brand remembered by millions.
Spanning four months and four cities — from the Forbidden City in Beijing to the Chongqing Grand Theatre, from Xi’an’s Yongxingfang to the Shanghai International Film & TV Festival — the campaign concluded its urban outreach this June. Through diplomatic receptions, cultural pop-up events, and festival exhibitions, the initiative brought Hami’s natural landscapes, intangible cultural heritage, and urban identity to domestic and international audiences, charting a new path for cultural outreach and city branding.
Stop 1 · Beijing: Telling the Silk Road Story at the Forbidden City
On April 9, the campaign launched with a cultural salon and diplomatic reception titled “There Is a Sweetness Called Hami” at the Forbidden City. The event featured melon tasting, Silk Road embroidery exhibitions, and a celestial photography showcase, creating a dialogue between western and central Chinese civilizations within the imperial palace.
Forty-two diplomats from 28 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania attended. Amid the palace’s red walls and golden tiles, guests sampled the renowned Hami melon, admired the intricate embroidery, and marveled at the region’s starry skies.
A Chilean diplomat remarked: “My homeland also has beautiful starry skies, but Hami’s night sky carries a mysterious and expansive power.” An Armenian diplomat, after examining the embroidery patterns closely, said: “Every stitch tells a story of the Silk Road.” An Asian diplomat added on the spot: “You have sparked my longing for that land with sweetness, craftsmanship, and the stars. I must arrange a trip to Hami this year.”
At this stop, the world saw Hami.
Stop 2 · Chongqing: Symphonic Melodies Bridge Two Cities
From May 28 to 31, the campaign moved to Chongqing, offering the mountain city a dual experience of culture and the arts — a symphony to the ears, sweetness to the palate, and frontier landscapes to the eyes.
On May 28, a Hami city-image promotional event unfolded at the Chongqing Grand Theatre plaza. The showcase featured interactive installations themed “Journey to Hami” — immersive setups transporting visitors from Chongqing to Hami’s Barkol Grassland, the Da Haidao Yardang landforms, snowy lakes, and Yiwu poplar forests — offering a single-stop visual journey across four seasons and landscapes. Specialty foods from Hami, alongside branded merchandise such as T-shirts, embroidered goods, and gift boxes, drew strong interest from local residents.
That evening, the original symphonic suite “Silk Road Across the Desert,” produced by the Publicity Department of the Hami Municipal Committee and performed by the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, premiered at the Chongqing Grand Theatre. Through a fusion of music, poetry, and visuals, the five-part work brought to life the vast desert landscapes and bustling trade routes of the ancient Silk Road. The performance marked a milestone in the cultural exchange between Chongqing and Hami — an outgrowth of their paired-city support relationship.
At this stop, a city resonated with Hami.
Stop 3 · Xi’an: Silk Road Melon Meets Ancient Capital
On June 17 and 18 — less than a month before the 20th Hami Melon Festival — the campaign arrived at Xi’an’s Yongxingfang, a historic food street in the ancient capital. Tang-dynasty festivities intertwined with Hami melon culture, creating a dialogue across time amid the city’s vibrant street life.
Visitors sampled Hami melons for free, participated in Tang-style pitch-pot games and Silk Road shuttlecock kicking, collected stamps for Hami-branded souvenirs, and tried the traditional “melon-hitting” game — learning about Hami’s melon harvest customs and farming culture through hands-on fun. Specialty foods and agricultural products from Hami’s three counties — Yizhou, Barkol, and Yiwu — were also on display, offering Xi’an residents a taste of the region’s diverse offerings.
The two-day event introduced Hami’s Melon Festival to a nationwide audience, establishing it as a major summer cultural attraction.
At this stop, more Chinese people remembered Hami.
Stop 4 · Shanghai: Living Heritage on the Screen Stage
In June, Hami brought its cultural presence to the Shanghai International Film & TV Festival. Following a successful partnership in 2025, Hami was named the official cultural tourism partner of the 2026 Shanghai International Film & TV Festival — marking the second consecutive year of collaboration and positioning the “Famous city on the Silk Road” to share the stories of China’s western frontier through the festival’s global platform.
In 2025, actress Daisy Musuqman first walked the Shanghai TV Festival red carpet in traditional Hami embroidery, bringing the city’s intangible heritage to an international audience. In 2026, she continued her role as cultural ambassador, spotlighting Hami’s embroidery, Muqam music, and eastern Tianshan grassland culture through richer storytelling.
The Hami booth became a popular destination for international guests from Belt and Road countries — including television festival chairpersons, producers, and directors from Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and beyond. When they learned that Hami is often described as “a microcosm of Xinjiang” — encompassing deserts, oases, snowy peaks, glaciers, forests, grasslands, river valleys, lakes, and poplar forests — several international filmmakers exclaimed: “This is a gift to television producers from God!”
Beyond exhibitions, Hami is deepening its partnership with the festival through content co-creation: promoting the city as a “one-stop” filming location to production crews nationwide; co-producing short documentaries on Hami’s intangible heritage; and launching themed travel itineraries such as “Follow the Films to Hami.” Ambassador Daisy Musuqman extended an invitation to filmmakers worldwide: “Come to Hami, and capture the new chapter of the Silk Road through your lenses.”
At this stop, the world longed for Hami.
A Four-Stage Ascend: From Visibility to Aspiration
From Beijing to Xi’an, Chongqing to Shanghai, the 2026 campaign achieved a progressive narrative arc:
• Beijing: Under the Forbidden City’s red walls, 42 diplomats from 28 countries experienced Hami’s cultural depth. The world saw Hami.
• Xi’an: Among ancient streets and festive crowds, thousands of visitors discovered Hami’s landscapes and flavors. More Chinese people remembered Hami.
• Chongqing: Through symphonic resonance and urban exchange, two cities found common ground in shared emotion. A city resonated with Hami.
• Shanghai: On the global stage of film and television, Hami’s heritage and landscapes drew international acclaim. The world longed for Hami.
Four cities, four dimensions — from the solemnity of political-cultural centers to the vibrancy of ancient streets, from the artistic resonance of a southwestern metropolis to the cinematic glitter of an international hub. This was not merely a city-branding exercise; it was a carefully calibrated escalation of cultural influence.
Looking Ahead: 20th Hami Melon Festival
The 20th Hami Melon Festival — the “Sweet Journey” — will officially open on July 10, marking the culmination of this cross-country celebration. The city invites the world to visit this famous city on the Silk Road — to witness the vast expanse of Barkol Grassland, feel the awe of the Da Haidao Yardang formations, and taste the sweetness that belongs to Hami.
Contact Info:
Name: Suki Su
Email: Send Email
Organization: APEC International Media Group
Website: https://www.hami.gov.cn/hami/c120139/mlhm.shtml
Release ID: 89196977
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