CHANGSHA, China—Journalists from nine ASEAN countries and media creators from the United Kingdom and Nigeria concluded a five-day overseas media tour of Star City in Changsha, Hunan province, China on Oct. 29, 2025.
The event promoted deeper cultural, technological and tourism partnerships between Changsha and the participating nations.
The tour, organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Changsha Municipal Committee and the China News Service Hunan Branch, brought media representatives from the Philippines—Julie Ann Lope of the Manila Standard, Rainier Allan Ronda of The Philippine Star and Wesley Ang Chua of the Chinese Commercial News—along with delegates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Creators from Nigeria and Britain also took part.
Changsha, a major transportation hub along China’s Belt and Road Initiative, showcased its rapid urban development, rich history and innovative industries.
The city, designated a UNESCO City of Media Arts in 2017, is also recognized as China’s Most Investment-Attractive City. Delegates explored the city’s economic landscape, which features strong industrial clusters in sectors like automobiles, electronic information and new materials.
A highlight of the visit was the Liuyang International Fireworks Festival, featuring displays from the United States, Japan and four European countries. Liuyang, the globally known birthplace of fireworks, accounts for 70 percent of China’s total fireworks exports, which were valued at RMB 50 billion in 2024. The city currently hosts 431 fireworks and firecrackers manufacturing enterprises.
The group also explored cutting-edge technological industries, visiting prominent local companies. These included Hunan Bilinxing Technology Co. Ltd., a specialist in intelligent robotics; Hunan Sijiu Technology Co. Ltd., known for innovative printing and laser engraving machines; AthenaEyes, an AI healthcare enterprise; Hotone Audio, which develops professional musical instruments; and Zoomlion, one of the world’s top 50 construction equipment manufacturers. Stops also included the Malanshan Audio and Video Laboratory and Chaoneng Robot Technology.
Cultural and scenic stops included the Xiangjiang New Area City Museum, the Orange Isle Scenic Area—famous for its association with Mao Zedong—and historic sites like Yuelu Academy, one of China’s Four Great Academies and the Changsha Tongguan Kiln Site, the birthplace of multicolored ceramics.
The tour also featured ecological attractions such as the Songya Lake National Wetland Park and leisure sites like the Happy Snowland winter sports area and the Dawangshan Joy Cloud Bus, the world’s first dedicated tourist line for leisure travel.
