Young people often visited just to have a cup of coffee or a piece of cake decorated with patterns from the museum's collections, despite the long queue.

Yang says, now that people are better off, they are becoming more focused on enjoyment, and interest in the Chu culture has rapidly increased in Jingzhou.

According to the Jingzhou Cultural and Tourism Bureau, the city put on around 30 cultural activities during the holiday, and attracted some 4 million visitors.

Its key tourist attractions are all related to culture, among them the Chu King's Mausoleum with its large chariot horse pits, the ancient city wall, and residences formerly inhabited by well-known historical figures. Even Jingzhou Fantawild Oriental Heritage, a franchise theme park, makes use of Chu culture for the keywords describing its attractions.