CHENGDU, China, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A guochao (China-chic) culture event, themed "Qingcheng Sect • Immortal Heroes," was held on Oct 1 and 2 in Tai'an ancient town, Qingchengshan township, Dujiangyan, Sichuan province, as one of the area's key cultural tourism activities for the National Day holiday.

Drawing on Mount Qingcheng's rich immortal-hero culture, the event blended guochao animal costumes and immersive game challenges, turning traditional sightseeing into an experience-driven tourism model.

People in animal costumes and cosplayers in hanfu (traditional Chinese attire) invited visitors to join a "Qingcheng Sect" recruitment event. Costumed characters styled after mythical beasts such as the nine-tailed fox soon drew crowds — visitors stopped to take photos, and children chased after the performers for interaction.

The event featured a four-stage interactive mechanism: an "immortal hero token", game trials, stamp collection and a "spiritual root test." After picking up a token at the town entrance, visitors took on literary and martial trial games, including poetry, music, horse stance and pitch-pot. Each completed game earned a stamp.

After collecting all the stamps, participants entered a prize draw, with rewards ranging from an animal-costume headpiece made by the guochao brand Ling Ran Studio to discount vouchers from homestays and restaurants, cultural souvenirs, bookmarks and badges. The tiered prizes were designed to cover all participants.

"I didn't expect climbing a mountain could be this fun," said a visitor surnamed Wang from Chengdu, who completed all five challenges with his son. "The poetry game got him thinking, and the pitch-pot and horse stance got him moving. It's far more interesting than just hiking."

A hanfu enthusiast surnamed Lin from Chongqing said the animal-costume NPCs were "stunning", adding that the nine-tailed fox fits Mount Qingcheng's immortal-hero spirit perfectly and that she couldn't stop taking photos.

Ling Ran, founder of the event organizer Ling Ran Studio, said the goal was to use animal-costume NPCs and guochao cosplayers — the kinds of expressions young people love — to bring Qingcheng's immortal-hero culture to life.

"Visitors are no longer spectators," she said. "They become participants and protagonists."

Ling Ran Studio focuses on blending traditional Chinese culture with youth-driven trends such as anime-style animal costumes, hanfu, and traditional opera.

Local authorities said the event was an important step in rejuvenating the area's brand. By combining immortal-hero culture with guochao trends, Qingchengshan is shifting its image among younger audiences toward an interactive guochao destination.