The 2016 Jishou Drum Cultural Festival will kick off in Central China's Hunan province on Oct 15. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The 2016 Jishou Drum Cultural Festival will kick off in Central China's Hunan province on Oct 15.

Running through the month, the festival will hold performances in traditional costumes by members of the Miao ethnic group, put up stalls of spicy Hunan cuisine and host activities such as hiking and camping in Jishou city and surrounding areas.

"The annual festival has boosted ecotourism in Jishou. The Miao people's drum dance, for example, is an intangible heritage and draws many tourists," the city's Party chief Liu Zhenyu said in a recent news conference in Beijing.

The 2016 Jishou Drum Cultural Festival will kick off in Central China's Hunan province on Oct 15. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In 2015, tourists made nearly 9.9 million visits to the city, with a revenue of 7.31 billion yuan ($ 1.09 billion). This year, such visits touched nearly 7.8 million until August, increased by about 16.6 percent compared with the same period in previous years.

The city government and the Chinese company Showland Group have decided to together develop the scenic area of Aizhai over the next decade as a destination for sightseeing and leisure at an investment of 3 billion yuan. Aizhai is known for its natural resources and picturesque scenery such as waterfalls and an iconic bridge.