- Robots, smart wearables and flying vehicles took center stage at a new AI tourism exhibition
- Event coincided with free admission to West Lake attractions and a push to expand technology-driven visitor experiences
Hangzhou’s West Lake, best known for its UNESCO-listed cultural landscape, is testing a more futuristic identity.
On June 24, the scenic area launched what organizers called China’s first city storytelling space combining AI and tourism, marking the 15th anniversary of West Lake’s World Heritage inscription and the seventh annual West Lake Day.
The two-day event, jointly organized by the West Lake Scenic Area Administrative Committee and the China Association of National Parks and Scenic Sites, transformed the central plaza of Hangzhou Children’s Park into an immersive open-air technology showcase.
Fifteen companies working at the intersection of AI and tourism displayed products ranging from humanoid robots and embodied AI systems to glasses-free 3D displays, smart wearables and low-altitude aviation technologies.
Among the most popular attractions was a humanoid robot from Unitree (宇树科技) carrying a traditional bamboo basket and handing out West Lake lotus flowers to visitors.
Other robot demonstrations recreated scenes from the Southern Song Dynasty, including one portraying the poet and statesman Su Shi writing calligraphy.
Hangzhou, historically known as Lin’an, was the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).
Exhibitors also included TransitX (太希智能), which showcased exoskeleton devices designed to assist hikers, and Kannan (加南科技), whose smart glasses were presented as wearable photography tools.
Glasses-free 3D displays from Shenkong Guangmou (深空光眸), a local startup, rendered iconic West Lake scenes such as Broken Bridge and Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon in three dimensions.
E-Hawk, an eVTOL developer, exhibited a ton-class aircraft, highlighting potential future sightseeing applications over the lake.
Beyond visitor experiences, local emergency response, fire and police departments displayed AI-enabled equipment including robotic firefighting dogs and biomimetic robotic fish used for security and environmental monitoring.
A West Lake Scenic Area official said the heritage anniversary would serve as a new starting point for expanding innovation-focused applications and attracting technology companies to develop AI tourism initiatives and industry standards.
The launch coincided with the first joint free-admission program covering 15 ticketed attractions within the West Lake scenic area and the nearby Qiandao Lake destination, opening them to visitors from around the world.
