Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) — It’s so exciting to see how China’s tourism industry embraces technology! Robot-assisted walking tours and artificial intelligence (AI) tours are just the beginning. Such futuristic travel experiences are becoming more common across the country, and they are making the travel experience more exciting than ever!
This year’s May Day holiday, which ran from May 1 to 5, was one of the busiest tourism periods of the year in China, with many tourist attractions using cutting-edge technology to offer visitors unique and unforgettable experiences, from virtual reality equipment providing digital tours to drones creating dramatic patterns in the sky or monitoring crowd density at scenic spots.
At the Shichuan Ancient Pear Garden, an incredible pear blossom attraction located in the remote inland county of Gaolan, Gansu Province, northwest China, you will be amazed to see robots developed by Chinese startup Unitree Robotics guiding tourists around the garden’s iconic landmarks. These advanced robots demonstrate dynamic obstacle avoidance and terrain-crossing skills that are truly impressive.
The tech company, based in the bustling eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, has taken the world by storm with its humanoid robots, which made a splash at the 2025 Spring Festival (Chinese Lunar New Year) gala, leaving everyone in awe.
At the Gaolan Museum of Agriculture, robots can be seen interacting with traditional farming tools. It is a fascinating dialogue between ancient and modern times, showing visitors how China’s ancient agricultural civilization has evolved to embrace modern technology.
“It was a wonderful surprise! I didn’t expect to befriend high technology in an ancient pear orchard,” said one visitor surnamed Zhang, who got a first-hand look at the cutting-edge technology by shaking hands with a robot.
“His movements were incredibly flexible and he seemed to be listening to me carefully. It was like communicating with a real person,” he said.
Under the “AI Plus Consumption” initiative outlined in the State Council’s recently released special action plan to promote consumption in the country, the use of AI applications has become ubiquitous in numerous scenarios both online and offline.
The tourism industry, which is usually associated with scenic views and cultural heritage, is undergoing significant changes thanks to the integration of robotics and advanced technologies.
A striking illustration of this integration is the recent introduction of exoskeleton robots, which have become particularly popular among mountain climbers and mountaineers. These devices saw a significant surge in demand during the aforementioned vacations on Mount Taishan, a famous scenic area in eastern China’s Shandong Province.
Li Gang, a senior official with Taishan Cultural Tourism Group, which organizes trips to Mount Taishan, said that in the last few days of the May Day holiday, rentals of exoskeleton robots were particularly busy every day, with some visitors waiting for two hours.
The use of wearable and lightweight intelligent devices such as exoskeleton robots can reduce the burden on humans as they recognize the user’s intentions and dynamically apply mechanical force to key body parts. Such devices have an instantaneous traction force of 200 kg and an eight-hour endurance.
With Mount Tai’s scenic beauty and cultural heritage evident on the steepest sections of its hiking trails, exoskeleton robots have proven effective in alleviating the discomfort associated with intense physical activity, cutting the expected three-hour climb up the steep mountainside in half.
As Li Gang noted, during the holiday period, all available exoskeleton robots were fully booked in advance, with a rental price of 80 yuan (about $11) for three hours of “work.” The devices were designed not only to assist with walking, but also to monitor a person’s physical condition in real time and have functions such as emergency calls and landmark information.
It is no secret that similar robots have been installed at other mountain tourist attractions in provincial-level administrative units such as Hebei, Anhui, Shaanxi, Jiangxi and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Chinese travelers made an estimated 314 million domestic trips during the five-day holiday period, with a significant proportion expressing deep satisfaction with new experiences using AI or human-robot interactions.
In Guangdong province alone, 42 events organized by tech companies or telecom operators showcasing new AI applications attracted more than 2.1 million people.
The integration of robotics into the tourism industry extends beyond entertainment and support functions and is finding applications in the areas of safety and security.
A four-wheeled robot named Xiaoyu is currently being tested for patrol and safety inspection in the Grand Canal Cultural and Tourism Zone in Beijing’s Tongzhou District.
Xiaoyu was designed to provide tourists with timely safety alerts, and can detect smoke and locate fire sources using its built-in thermal imaging and heat-sensing camera. The technology used in the robot can assess the health of trees and detect signs of pests or disease. In the event of an emergency, tourists can press the SOS button on the robot’s shoulder to contact the facility’s staff.
These innovations are having a profound impact on how Chinese people travel and experience the world around them, from enhancing experiences to improving safety and efficiency. The May Day holiday provided a glimpse into an exciting future where the boundaries between people and technology become blurred, opening up new opportunities for the travel industry.
An article published recently on the China News Service website quoted Guo Qiang, a sales manager at a humanoid robot company in central China’s Hunan Province, as saying that the company had received more than 100 orders from tourist sites across the country for tasks such as performing Tai Chi, serving tea, or assisting with hiking.
“The presence of robots in China’s scenic areas is growing rapidly and on a large scale. This phenomenon can serve as a catalyst for the upgrading of cultural tourism services,” Guo Qiang shared his opinion. -0-