From Traffic Dividends to Content Endurance: Themed Wax Museums Become a New Option for Cultural Tourism Investment

In 2025, the heat of China's tourism market continues to rise on the basis of 2024. Looking back at the full-year data of 2024, the volume of tourism-related topics achieved a year-on-year increase of 43% compared to 2023, with the share of cultural tourism content rising from 29.6% in 2023 to 34% in 2024.

Behind this growth data reflects a profound transformation underway in China's tourism industry—shifting from the extensive development reliant on "traffic dividends" in the past to refined operations relying on "content endurance." This transformation is not only intuitively reflected in the sustained popularity of the tourism market but also deeply shapes the development model and future direction of the cultural tourism industry in 2025.

Amid this wave of transformation, the growth in demand for immersive cultural tourism experiences has become a key trend, with related topic volume increasing by 31% year-on-year and interactions increasing by 64% year-on-year.

Judging by popular content, tourists show a high demand for immersive experiences related to culture, history, red tourism, art, etc. Immersive theme parks and exhibitions have become the main forms for consumers to experience immersive cultural tourism.

How to adapt to this cultural tourism trend and demand while differentiating from other attractions? Themed wax museums might be an excellent option.

Themed Wax Museums Align with the Demand for Immersive Experiences

Thanks to their unique display forms and rich cultural connotations, themed wax museums naturally highly align with the current demand for immersive cultural tourism experiences.

Red Theme Wax Museum

Taking the "Spark Ignites Prairie Fire" themed wax museum as an example, as China's first red-themed wax museum, it covers a total area of 1000+㎡ and displays 100+ lifelike wax figures. It connects classic revolutionary historical events such as the Jinggangshan Meeting, Forcing the Luding Bridge, Climbing Snowy Mountains, Crossing the Grasslands, and the Red Army in Yan'an, China.

The museum uses a combination of wax statues, art, scenes, and props to connect these classic revolutionary historical events, vividly recreating classic historical events and sculptures such as the "Gutian Conference."

Visitors stepping into the museum feel instantly transported back to the era, surrounded by a strong historical atmosphere with powerful and profound emotional impact.

This immersive experience not only allows visitors to deeply feel that magnificent history and enhance patriotic sentiments but also brings bygone years to life, satisfying tourists' demand for immersive red tourism experiences.

Project Information

Project Name: Gutian "Spark Ignites Prairie Fire" Themed Wax Museum

Project Location: Gutian Town, Gujiao New District, Longyan City, Fujian Province

Project Area: 2000m²

Science Theme Wax Museum

The Guangzhou Guangzhou Grandview Mall Scientific Figures Wax Museum is the world's first to take science as its core theme, gathering 57 great scientists and skillfully integrating wax figures with displays of scientific achievements.

These great sculptures include explorers of physical laws, observers of astronomical phenomena, pioneers of medical therapies, inventors of cars, airplanes, and rockets, as well as creators of daily necessities like air conditioners, refrigerators, microwave ovens, and even instant noodles.

Their representations are all-encompassing, vividly outlining the magnificent journey of human technological development over 2000 years. Furthermore, the wax museum has carefully produced animated short films for each set of wax statue, narrating the life stories of these scientific pioneers and their outstanding contributions to world civilization.

Project Information

Project Name: Guangzhou Grandview Mall Scientific Figures Wax Museum

Project Location: 6th Floor, Grandview Mall, Guangzhou City

Leveraging Local Culture: Wax Museums Integrating Multicultural Expansion

Based on the region where the wax museum is located, they leverage local culture and integrate multicultural expansion to further broaden their development space.

Guangzhou WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum · Cantonese Culture

The Guangzhou WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum is located at the foot of the Canton Tower. Inside, it follows the thread of Cantonese culture, recreating classic scenes such as Kung Fu, Tong Lau street scenes, Yum Cha, and Cantonese opera performances.

Visitors stepping inside feel like they are wandering through the streets and alleys of old Guangzhou, seemingly able to hear the clear melodies of Cantonese opera and the calls of street vendors.

The wax mannequins include not only historical celebrities from the Cantonese region and Cantonese opera masters but also scientists, sports stars, film and television celebrities, Journey to the West characters, singers, artists, world tycoons, political leaders, cartoon and anime characters, etc. This satisfies people's desire for immersive local cultural experiences while also allowing them to experience more diverse cultural elements.

Project Information

Project Name:  WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum

Project Location: Next to the East Entrance of Canton Tower, 222 Yuejiangxi Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou City

Project Area: 5000m²

Jinan WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum · Qilu Culture

The Jinan WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum covers an area of 5000+㎡. With the theme of "Cultural Confidence," it uses wax figures as the carrier and cultural etiquette as an opportunity, selecting outstanding figures from various fields, committed to building a local characteristic brand that promotes Shandong's traditional culture and inherits Chinese civilized etiquette.

The museum features 16 major themed exhibition areas, including Red Revolution Zone, Traditional Culture Zone, Liaozhai Mysterious Forest Zone, Journey to the West & Martial Arts, etc., with 100+ lifelike Chinese and foreign celebrity wax sculptures distributed throughout, covering famous stars, renowned scholars, scientists, and more.

The lintels and large windows are designed based on the Jiaoji Railway, showcasing the landmark culture of Spring City (Jinan); figures like Confucius teaching and Lu Ban holding a Lu Ban lock vividly present Qilu culture.

Here, visitors can both feel the charm of celebrities, receive edification from red education, and enjoy a visual feast of traditional culture and foreign cultures.

Project Information

Project Name: WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum

Project Location: Building 11, North Gate East, Impression Jinan Quan World, Huaiyin District, Jinan City

Project Area: 5000m²

Changsha WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum · Huxiang Culture

The Changsha WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum displays over 120 world-famous celebrity wax figures, integrating the classic heritage of Huxiang culture, and fully utilizing imaging technologies such as AR and VR, indoor track tour vehicles, artificial intelligence, sound effects, role-playing, etc., to create a upgraded 2.0 version wax museum art experience center integrating visits, interactive experiences, and entertainment leisure.

The local culture zone of Changsha features the millennium-old academy Yuelu Academy, the "food paradise" Pozi Street, and more uniquely, reflects Changsha's red heritage, with replicas of the founding ceremony scene, the great Chairman Mao, Comrade Lei Feng, and so on.

Project Information

Project Name: WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum

Project Location: L1 Floor, Meixi Street, Love Plaza, Step by Step Meixi New Heaven and Earth, 1099 Fenglin San Road, Yuelu District, Changsha City

Project Area: 5000m²

Lijiang WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum · Naxi, Dongba Culture

The Lijiang WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum incorporates Naxi and Dongba culture through various presentation methods such as imaging technology, artificial intelligence, innovative scene design, etc., creating a wax museum that combines tours, interaction, and experience for the audience.

It features a lineup of over 60 celebrity wax figures and the world's first romantic theme. Among them, the Charming Lijiang area presents folk customs, with wax scenes set against Lijiang's iconic landscapes. Wax statues wearing traditional Naxi costumes thoroughly display the unique charm of Lijiang.

Furthermore, it also gathers well-known wax statues including Chinese entertainment stars, Hollywood superstars, Korean idols, British royal family members, and international tycoons.

Project Information

Project Name: WeiMuKaiLa Wax Museum

Project Location: 2nd Floor, Spring Department Store Center, Guanmenkou, Gucheng District, Lijiang City

Project Area: 5000m²

Themed wax museums possess unique presentation forms and profound cultural connotations. They can flexibly customize immersive experiences based on the characteristics of the project location.

Against the backdrop of the cultural tourism industry's transformation from "traffic dividends" to "content endurance," themed wax museums are expected to continue innovating and developing, injecting new vitality into China's cultural tourism industry.