The May Day holiday is a traditional peak season for the tourism industry, with major scenic spots pulling out all the stops to attract visitors, while AI is shaping new cultural and tourism experiences.
On May 1, at Foshan Sanshui Nandanshan Forest Kingdom, the scenic area collaborated with Cloudscape Touchworld Company to launch the “Four-Legged Companion’s Forest Adventure” robotic dog-themed performance. The collision of tech-savvy pets and natural forests attracted over a thousand families on the first day, offering tourists a brand-new travel experience.
That day, in the Nandanshan God of Wealth cultural area, the robotic dog, dressed in golden-red lion robes, leaped and pranced to the beat of drums, seamlessly executing high-difficulty moves like blinking, wagging its tail, and backflips. It also cleverly transformed into a “Messenger of the God of Wealth,” accurately picking up gold ingots and performing bowing motions, drawing crowds of tourists eager to take photos.
The agile robotic dog caught the attention of children: “Will the robotic dog be afraid of falling?” “Can it understand Cantonese commands?” During the Q&A session, the children fired off questions like a rapid-fire cannon.
Beyond traditional lion dances, the robotic dogs also engaged in fun interactions with visitors: completing command challenges to win limited-edition “small gold ingots,” racing or high-fiving the robotic dog to receive lucky draw pouches, and even playing the role of a “dog trainer” to direct the robotic dog in performing specific actions. Amid laughter and cheers, families not only experienced the interactive fun of tech products but also felt the innovative expression of intangible cultural heritage.
“AI+” is continuously expanding new scenarios in cultural tourism. Song Guoyao, CEO of Cloudscape Touchworld, explained that robotic technology is evolving from a single-purpose tool into a core carrier of the cultural tourism ecosystem, capable of collaborative creation in areas like scenic area guided tours, interactive experiences, and management assistance. With breakthroughs in large models and multimodal technology, robots will integrate more deeply into cultural tourism scenarios, becoming a “super interface” connecting technology and humanity. It is estimated that in the next five years, embodied intelligence technology will drive robots to participate deeply in cultural tourism content production, such as AI scriptwriting and real-time dance choreography.
As a key node in Foshan’s “Four Mountains, Two Rivers” cultural tourism boutique zone, Nandanshan has deeply integrated robotic dog performances with signature activities like mountain hiking for blessings and treetop walks. A spokesperson for the scenic area stated that introducing robotic dog performances aims to use cutting-edge technology to revitalize traditional culture, allowing young families to experience the warmth of technology in nature.
Robotic dogs engage in fun interactions with visitors.
It is reported that the robotic dog performances will run until May 4, with three scheduled shows daily at 11:50, 15:00, and 16:30, held at the Nandanshan Research Lecture Hall.
Additionally, during the May Day holiday, Nanshan Town launched the “Wild Fun Nanshan·Joyful Party” series of events, collaborating with businesses like Manxing City, Nandanshan, Ameila Foshan Flight Camp, and Nanshan Twelve Courtyards to offer exciting activities and discounts.
At the Manxing City main venue, highlights such as the “Trendy Southeast Asian” food competition, Thai boxing performances, and Hulk beer contests attracted over 5,000 visitors on the first day of the holiday. On the 3rd and 4th, Manxing City will also host activities like NPC parades with Chinese-style dance interactions and fireworks displays, injecting vitality into Nanshan’s vision of becoming a trendy youth playground in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.