Robots play drums and dance, brew coffee, turning an industry expo into a stage where artificial intelligence and heritage converge, Xu Lin reports in Wuhan.

Humanoid robots in traditional costumes perform synchronized dances alongside human performers against a backdrop of dynamic large-screen visuals, attracting big crowds.

Elsewhere, a robot plays the drums to classical Chinese songs, robotic baristas make coffee and robotic dogs take a stroll, creating a futuristic atmosphere.

These innovations took center stage at the 2025 China Culture and Tourism Industries Expo, where technology met culture to reimagine the future of tourism.

The event, hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism from Sept 12 to last Sunday in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, carried the theme "deepening integration of culture and tourism, enjoying a better life".

The expo attracted over 225,000 visits, with more than 2,000 domestic exhibitors, including tourism bureaus and scenic areas.

Statistics show that half of the visitors were from outside Wuhan. According to travel agency Trip.com Group, hotel bookings in the city grew by 43.5 percent year-on-year during the three-day event, with booking values rising by 42.9 percent.

Business was brisk. Five cultural and tourism industry negotiation events facilitated cooperative deals worth 810 million yuan ($113.78 million), while a centralized signing ceremony for cultural and tourism projects secured investments totaling 23.28 billion yuan. A total of 26 pairs of overseas and domestic travel agencies signed contracts on-site, with a transaction volume of 82 million yuan. On-site transactions of cultural products and tourism commodities at the expo reached 170 million yuan.

"The expo presents the diverse achievements of the culture and tourism industries and serves as a vivid example of their integrated development in the new era," says Duan Qiang, president of the China Tourism Association.