"Happy Landlord" Kicks Off "Happy China Tour" in Guangxi; Esports and Intangible Cultural Heritage Breathe New Life into an Ancient Town

Recently, Tencent’s “Happy Landlord” 20th Anniversary National Tour, the “Happy China Tour” series of events, kicked off in Guangxi. Under the theme “Joy Gathers in Guangxi—Baguai Plays the Ace,” the event is jointly organized by Tencent Interactive Entertainment and the Photon Studio Group’s “Happy Games" and the "One-Click Tour of Guangxi" platform, exploring a cross-industry "esports + cultural tourism" model that integrates regional esports tournaments with local cultural heritage, cuisine, agricultural products, and other cultural tourism resources.

On the evening of May 16, the ancient town of Yaobu in Guangxi resonated with a mix of classic “Dou Dizhu” sound effects and electronic music, as the audience, bowls of luosifen in hand, moved to the beat.

As one of the key hubs of the Hundred-Li Liujiang Scenic Belt, Yaobu Ancient Town forms a picturesque contrast with the meandering Liujiang River. The fusion of esports, intangible cultural heritage, trendy electronic music, and traditional long-table banquets creates a new immersive cultural and tourism experience that embodies the unique charm of Guangxi.Seizing this opportunity, the “Happy Landlord” 518 Royal Flush Festival simultaneously launched online a Guangxi-themed dialect voice pack and cyber-landscape scenes, bringing the culture of Guangxi vividly to life at the fingertips of players nationwide through digital means.

Launch Ceremony

The "All-Star Competition" came to a successful close, with champions from all 12 regional venues gathering together; the champions walked away with a "bagful" of Guangxi specialties.

Starting May 1, the Guangxi leg of the “Happy Landlord” “Happy National Star Tournament” set up 12 competition venues across the city’s commercial districts, tourist attractions, universities, and night markets, with thousands of players enthusiastically signing up to participate. After half a month of competition, the champions at each venue were crowned one after another.

On May 16, the afternoon of the finals saw the 12 faction champions gather on the stage in Yaobu Ancient Town to face off in the final round.The scene showcased a uniquely local “charming contrast”: some contestants wore traditional ethnic-patterned attire, while others donned aprons from luosifen noodle shops—yet all were fully focused on the screen, calculating their moves.The commentators on stage delivered witty remarks one after another, while the audience below was completely engrossed, cheering repeatedly. Waves of laughter filled this millennium-old town with a rich sense of everyday life and vibrant energy.

In the end, a contestant from the Ma’anshan Scenic Area venue took home the championship. It’s worth noting that the championship prize for this event was quite unique—a giant “provincial goody bag” filled with Guangxi’s famous specialties, such as luosifen and Lipu taro.Amid the enthusiastic and warm applause from the audience, the intense intellectual competition seamlessly transitioned into a cultural gathering showcasing the charms of Guangxi and embodying the spirit of competition, bringing the event to a perfect close.

"Landlord" Game Soundtrack Transforms into Cyber Electro Music; Ancient Town Square Becomes an Open-Air Concert Venue

As night fell, the “Cyber Folk Song Fun Party” officially kicked off, bringing the youthful energy of the crowd to a new high.

When the classic background music from *Happy Landlord*—familiar to players across the country—echoes through the square, what follows isn’t the traditional sound of cards being played, but a futuristic electronic beat.Listen closely: this powerful, penetrating melody is not only punctuated by ethereal samples of Zhuang ethnic mountain songs but also cleverly reimagines gaming slang—such as “Royal Flush,” “Can’t Afford It,” and “Super Double”—that players have ingrained in their DNA, transforming them into trendy vocal remixes.

Enveloped by this music—which was both strikingly contrasting and innovative—the youthful energy of the audience was fully ignited. Nearly 10,000 spectators were immersed in the electronic beats of “Dou Dizhu,” waving their hands to the dynamic melodies and letting their enthusiasm run wild.The ancient square was transformed into a trendy open-air music venue. This was not only a pioneering dialogue between tradition and modernity but also a chance for this millennium-old town to showcase its inclusivity and youthful vitality to the outside world with a completely refreshed, trendy image.

Interactive singing and dancing by day, and slurping noodles at long tables by night—a joyful welcome that truly embodies the “hospitality of the host.”

During the event on the 16th, offstage, the “Music Battle District” opened in the afternoon. The district featured interactive booths showcasing Zhuang brocade, bamboo pole dancing, mountain song duets, and chess puzzle challenges. Visitors participated in each activity one by one by collecting stamps to “clear the levels,” engaging with intangible cultural heritage along the way.

After dark, the long-table banquet and the electronic music party took place simultaneously. The long tables were laden with local delicacies such as luosifen and Guangxi suan ye, and the audience enjoyed the electronic music performance while sampling the food. The banquet and the party, running side by side, created another highlight of the evening’s events.

Extending “Host Hospitality,” Event Traffic Boosts Culture and Tourism, and IP Empowers Rural Revitalization in Multiple Dimensions

This “host’s hospitality” was not limited to the single-day event; rather, through multidimensional cross-sector collaboration, it transformed the excitement surrounding the competition into tangible support for local development:

First, by integrating cultural and tourism initiatives to benefit the public, the event stimulates long-tail consumption. The event is deeply integrated with the Cultural, Museum, and Arts Month; players can use their contest registration information or a screenshot of the game interface to claim cultural and tourism discount coupons (valid for up to one month) on “Gui Piaotong,” covering attractions such as Longtan Park and the Baili Liujiang River cruise.This practical initiative successfully extended the short-term traffic surge generated by the event into a sustained cycle of cultural and tourism consumption, providing tangible convenience for players’ trips to Guangxi.

Second, IP-driven cross-industry agricultural products are empowering rural revitalization. This event features a brand-new dedicated exhibition area, innovatively creating a new integrated exhibition and sales model combining “Landlord IP × Guangxi Agricultural Products.”On one hand, it reimagines the promotion of agricultural products through youthful and engaging creative approaches; on the other hand, it breaks with convention by incorporating distinctive agricultural products into the tournament’s reward system. Leveraging the massive traffic generated by the tournament to precisely “spark interest,” this initiative broadens the reach of Guangxi’s high-quality products beyond their traditional markets, using the momentum of IP to tangibly empower rural revitalization across Guangxi.

Experience an ancient town in person, and play a round of "Guangxi-style" Dou Dizhu online

This event in Liuzhou is one of the highlights of *Happy Landlord*’s “518 Royal Flush Festival.” While the offline event in the neighborhood blends trendy music with the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life, the game has also simultaneously launched an exclusive “Guangxi Voice Pack.”

Highly distinctive local dialects have become a new medium for card-playing, with classic phrases like “Wangzha” and “Yaogui” perfectly adapted to the rich Guangxi-Liuzhou accent.Offline, players can savor local street food and immerse themselves in the latest music trends, while online, they can enjoy card games brimming with authentic “Guangxi flavor.” This seamless integration of the real and virtual worlds not only resonates deeply with local players but also allows players nationwide to experience Guangxi’s unique regional charm firsthand through in-game interactions.

It is reported that the “Joyful China Tour” series will expand to more regions in the future, continuing to explore and incorporate local cultures to create customized experiences. Currently, the Guangxi voice pack has officially launched in the game; players nationwide can switch to it with a single tap when logging into “Joyful Landlord” to immerse themselves in the charm of Guangxi.