On August 23, 2007, Yang Zhisan signed a strategic agreement with the state-owned Laojunshan Forest Farm for the joint development of Laojunshan. The signing of this agreement marked the official commencement of the high-starting point, large-scale development and construction of Laojunshan;

According to Laojunshan's development pace, we divide its development journey into two major stages:

Figure: Laojunshan Scenic Area Revenue from 2007 to 2023

Source: Compiled from publicly available data

Phase 1: Initial Stage (2007-2017) From Forest Farm to Popular Scenic Area

During this stage, Laojunshan achieved two leaps: from a forest farm to a scenic area and from a general scenic area to a popular scenic area:

【Development and Construction Period】 2007-2012:

During this period, Laojunshan was in the investment construction and market cultivation stage, with a relatively small revenue scale. At this time, Laojunshan, as a sacred site of the mainstream Quanzhen School of Taoism, and because of its natural beauty and cultural value, began to attract a certain number of tourists to visit, with an annual revenue of less than 300,000 yuan.

【Growth Period】 2012-2014:

The product model began to take shape, officially adopting the "ticket + secondary sales" revenue model.

In 2012, Laojunshan was rated as a national 5A-level tourist attraction and officially implemented a ticket system. During this stage, Laojunshan gradually improved the attractiveness and popularity of the scenic area through continuous product refinement and operational optimization. However, due to fierce market competition and the time required for brand building, the annual revenue growth during this stage was relatively slow.

【Ascent Period】 2014-2016:

The construction of Laojunshan's core attraction, the Golden Summit Taoist Temple complex, was completed, ushering in a new era of systematic marketing. At this time, Laojunshan had begun to promote itself according to the promotion model of a star brand, from brand packaging and the creation of a core attraction system to various brand event planning. In terms of promotion channels, in addition to significantly expanding and increasing channels, it also screened high-quality new media channels. This became an important part of the scenic area's promotion work.

【Breakthrough Period】 2016-2017, exceeding 100 million yuan:

By 2017, the scenic area's first viral event marketing campaign, "One Yuan Lunch," boosted the scenic area's popularity. After nearly ten years of hard work, Laojunshan Scenic Area's revenue finally exceeded 100 million yuan, basically achieving break-even. This marked Laojunshan's entry into a new development stage.

Figure: Laojunshan Scenic Area Revenue Exceeded 100 Million Yuan in 2017

Source: Celebration event

Phase 2: Explosive Growth Period (2019-Present) From Popular Scenic Area to Star Scenic Area

【Going Viral】 2019: With the strong support of short video platforms, Laojunshan experienced explosive growth. Total revenue increased from 135 million yuan the previous year to 185 million yuan, a significant leap. This year, Laojunshan quickly gained popularity on short video platforms thanks to its magnificent natural scenery and unique cultural heritage, attracting a large number of tourists.

【Overtaking on a Curve】 2020: Laojunshan continued its strong growth momentum, with annual operating revenue reaching 310 million yuan. The scenic area further expanded its brand influence and market share through new media matrix marketing, short video incentive policies, and other measures.

【Rapid Growth】 2021: Annual revenue reached 370 million yuan, maintaining rapid growth. Laojunshan continued to exert efforts in marketing promotion, product innovation, and service improvement, continuously consolidating and enhancing its market position.

【New History】 2023: Achieved a historic breakthrough, receiving 4.5 million tourists and total revenue exceeding 1 billion yuan for the first time. This achievement not only demonstrates Laojunshan's leading position in the cultural and tourism industry but also lays a solid foundation for its future development.

Because Laojunshan is only 3 kilometers away from Luanchuan County, the popularity of Laojunshan has driven the development of tourism in Luanchuan. Now, hotels in Luanchuan are fully booked.

Tourist flow increased by 300 times

Revenue increased by 3,000 times

Five Secrets to Creating the Laojunshan Myth

There are many famous mountains and rivers in China, and there are more than 14 mountains named Laojunshan. Why is only the Laojunshan in Luanchuan so popular? To simply say that Laojunshan Scenic Area became popular because of short videos is too superficial.

1、【Massive Investment in Scenery】 Creating mountain tourism for young people

Laojun Mountain's product development eschews traditional scenic area approaches. Instead, it adopts an aesthetically pleasing perspective conducive to dissemination, employing architecture, natural landscapes, lighting, interactive open spaces, and other methods to create core attractions. It leverages the influencer effect to attract tourists, particularly targeting the preferences of young people.

① The ultimate presentation of architecture and natural landscapes

The core scene of Laojun Mountain is the Jinding Daoist Temple complex, constructed from 2011 to 2013. These palace-style temples are situated atop a 2,200-meter peak, standing firm amidst changing weather and celestial movements. They include the Laojun Temple, Morality Palace, Yuhuang Peak, Bell and Drum Tower, South Heavenly Gate, and Zhaoyang Cave, all built in the style of Ming and Qing imperial palaces.

Watching the sunrise from the peak, every detail of the sun's slow ascent is visible. Gazing at the sea of clouds from the peak, the rising mist resembles ocean clouds, cleansed by moisture, creating a feeling of being in a fairyland. Thus, Laojun Mountain's natural scenery and architectural complex together create the viral hit "A Stunning Feast in the Human World".

Image: Jinding Daoist Temple Complex

Source: Laojun Mountain Scenic Area Xiaohongshu

② Targeting young people's preferences, creating highly interactive and experiential products for young people

To meet the consumption needs of young people, Laojun Mountain Scenic Area has introduced many fashionable products. For example, the scenic area has launched creative tourism projects such as the Jinding light show, the Purple Cloud Veil of Flowers, and jungle trekking. These projects enhance the tourist experience through light and shadow, color, and interaction, becoming popular check-in points.

In addition to these popular attractions, Laojun Mountain has launched new tourism formats such as the Heavenly Palace Theater, campsites, and a geological museum, as well as Heavenly Palace milk tea and Heavenly Palace coffee, secondary consumption products that are popular with young people, effectively converting traffic into revenue.

In recent years, statistics on the tourist profile of Laojun Mountain Scenic Area show that young tourists from the 80s, 90s, and 00s account for nearly 90% of the total number of tourists, which is rare for traditional mountain-type scenic areas.

Image: Heavenly Palace Coffee

Source: Xiaohongshu @Laojunshan-Junjun Youli

2. [Cultural Core] - Providing young people with the emotional value of "cultural confidence"

Laojun Mountain is famous for Lao Tzu's seclusion and cultivation, and is a Taoist holy land. This cultural origin perfectly matches the "cultural confidence" sought by young people. Therefore, the scenic area has delved into the cultural connotations of Lao Tzu and Taoism.

For example, the construction of the Lao Tzu Cultural Garden allows tourists to learn more about Lao Tzu's life and works, adding cultural depth and historical weight to the scenic area.

Compilation of historical legends and myths related to Laojun Mountain, such as Lao Tzu's alchemy and enlightenment of sentient beings, are presented in the scenic area through signage and explanations, allowing tourists to experience the mysterious cultural atmosphere during their visit and enriching their tourism experience.

Image: Immersive performance at the Heavenly Palace Theater

Source: Laojun Mountain Scenic Area publicity

Annual events such as the Immortal Mountain Flower Sea Festival, Mountain and Water Hanfu Festival, Sea Viewing Summer Escape Festival, and Ice and Snow Frost Festival are held. For example, the Mountain and Water Hanfu Festival, set against the backdrop of the peak forest fairyland, creates a national style scene, attracting many Hanfu enthusiasts and leading a cultural revival, increasing tourist participation and experience.

3. [Internet Meme King] - Continuous event marketing and topic creation keep Laojun Mountain at the peak of traffic.

Laojun Mountain Scenic Area is adept at capturing beautiful moments, widely disseminating them online through photographers and tourists. After a heavy snowfall at the end of 2019, a casually taken photo of the snow-covered Jinding peak by a Laojun Mountain employee went viral, achieving 1 billion views in just half a month.

Since then, the snow scene has become a beautiful calling card for Laojun Mountain. Every winter, it attracts a large number of tourists. Videos of "A Journey to a Stunning Feast in the Human World, Eating Instant Noodles on Laojun Mountain" have also spread widely online, becoming a hot topic.

Image: The meme of "eating instant noodles on Laojun Mountain" is still popular

Source: Screenshot of relevant Xiaohongshu entries

Laojun Mountain also excels at event marketing:

In 2017, to address the pain point of expensive food in the scenic area, the scenic area launched a "one-yuan lunch" event. Tourists could enjoy a bowl of local-style Sanshen noodles, a sausage, and a bun for only one yuan.

This seemingly loss-making move won praise and widespread attention, becoming a unique label for the scenic area. It sparks media and tourist discussion every National Day, enhancing the scenic area's reputation.

"Travel IOU": During the May Day holiday in 2023, Laojun Mountain issued a 10-year valid travel IOU to tourists who couldn't get tickets, along with a free milk tea and chicken leg meal. This heartwarming gesture won praise from netizens, such as "This is a truly heartwarming trip," "Only sincerity is invincible," and "A broader perspective leads to a wider path." Related topics spread widely online, further enhancing the scenic area's reputation and favorability.

Laojun Mountain, with its constant meme creation, interactivity, and playfulness, has become a popular destination for young people. Many scenic areas can become trending, but only Laojun Mountain consistently remains so.

Image: The long-running "one-yuan lunch" and "travel IOU" events

Source: Douyin screenshot

4. [Brainwashing] - Mastering new media marketing

Laojun Mountain's new media dissemination is almost brainwashing in its effectiveness.

① First wave of traffic - Sunset and sea of clouds in 2019

In the summer, Laojun Mountain frequently experiences seas of clouds, with spectacular scenery. The weather in August remained clear, and every morning, the sea of clouds would surge from the valley. Tourists who went up the mountain in the morning could witness this extremely rare sight.

As a result, short videos of the sea of clouds with sunrises and sunsets were widely circulated. Several large accounts promoted them, forming a short video matrix. In the two months of summer 2019, Laojun Mountain received 200 million views, and also established the user mindset of "Go to Laojun Mountain to see the sea of clouds."

This promotion propelled Laojun Mountain into the ranks of internet-famous scenic spots.

② Second wave of traffic: Winter snow scenery

In November 2019, it snowed on Laojun Mountain. The crystal-clear rime, contrasting with the golden summit, created a visually stunning scene. The snow-covered Laojun Mountain became popular again.

Unlike before, Laojun Mountain now had its own BGM, and traffic no longer relied on major V or internet celebrity promotion; each tourist became a "traffic ambassador."

This wave of snow scenery lasted until the end of 2019, accumulating about 500 million views.

At the end of 2019, Douyin (TikTok) officially listed the top 10 most viewed scenic spots, with Laojun Mountain ranking ninth.

Image: Information released by Douyin in 2019

Source: Douyin screenshot

③ After the resumption of work following the 2020 epidemic, Laojun Mountain ascended to the throne of the king of short video scenic spots.

In 2020, while all scenic spots struggled, Laojun Mountain's traffic surged by 2 billion, with Douyin views reaching 2.85 billion. By 2021, the views increased fourfold, exceeding 11.5 billion! Laojun Mountain underwent unprecedented new media innovation marketing.

First measure: Recruiting with generous rewards

On April 9, 2020, Laojun Mountain's official WeChat account published an "Invitation to Short Video Creators." It invited video creators nationwide to participate in content creation and promotion, with rewards that were exciting and likely a first for domestic scenic spots. This marketing activity continued for several years.

Image: Laojun Mountain Scenic Area's annual recruitment of short video creators

Source: Laojun Mountain Scenic Area Official WeChat Account

Second measure: All-staff marketing

The scenic area's employees were highly motivated, resulting in dozens of mini internet celebrities with over 20,000 fans, greatly promoting interaction among local users.

Third measure: Major V matrix

In addition to recruitment, Laojun Mountain itself became the most popular topic. Using the "Laojun Mountain" tag attracted a large number of creators, with dozens having over 1 million fans. The mutual promotion effect was explosive.

Image: Nationwide promotion. Source: Douyin screenshot

In the new media era, Laojun Mountain's content matched the personalized travel styles and emotional expressions of the younger generation of tourists through its visual appeal, immersion, novelty, personality, and sense of identity.

Through the synergistic effect of these matrices, Laojun Mountain became a sensation.

Image: Laojun Mountain has over 1.79 million fans, and topics have at least 15 billion views.

Source: Douyin screenshot

5. [Going mainstream] From internet celebrity to star: Official media and traditional channels

In addition to internet celebrity traffic, Laojun Mountain also collaborated with Henan TV, an official media outlet, to build its image and influence.

Henan TV chose Laojun Mountain as one of the filming locations for its "Wonderful Tour" series. For example, in the program "Mid-Autumn Festival Wonderful Tour," the Golden Palace of Laojun Mountain became the filming location for the first dance program, "Chang'e Flying to the Moon."

In the program, Henan TV cleverly combined the cultural characteristics of Laojun Mountain with the program content. Through various art forms such as dance, music, and costumes, it showcased the mystery and magnificence of Laojun Mountain, while also conveying the essence of traditional Chinese culture. This integration of cultural elements entertained the audience while deepening the image of Laojun Mountain as a cultural carrier.

Image: Henan TV's 2021 "Mid-Autumn Festival Wonderful Tour - He"

Source: Screenshot

Image: Henan TV's 2022 "Mid-Autumn Festival Wonderful Tour - Chang'e Flying to the Moon"

Source: Screenshot

In addition, CCTV has also reported on Laojun Mountain many times. Laojun Mountain has transformed from a simple internet-famous scenic spot into a star scenic spot with rich content and a full image.

Image: CCTV's report on the scenic spot

Source: CCTV13 screenshot

Now, whether it's policy promotion, corporate transformation, or personal factors, what path will Laojun Mountain Scenic Area take after donning the national costume? We look forward to seeing it together.

Author's introduction: Zou Yi, General Manager of Lingyi Consulting (Personal WeChat: brianzouyi), welcome to communicate. Lingyi Consulting focuses on cultural, tourism, commercial, and real estate, tourism destination strategic consulting, urban renewal strategic consulting, etc.