Check-in event upgrades experience with virtual companion

On Wednesday, the 2026 "Check in at Gulou West Street and Stroll Along the Diagonal Street" cultural consumption event was officially launched by the Beijing Xicheng district's culture and tourism bureau.

As the intersection of two UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites, the Grand Canal and the Beijing Central Axis, Gulou West Street is the only artificially planned diagonal street within Beijing's old city area. It also serves as an important carrier of the Xicheng district's cultural brand.

With a focus on empowering the neighborhood through culture and stimulating vitality through consumption, the event has fully upgraded the "Cloud Guxi" WeChat mini-program and introduced a virtual cartoon character, "Guxixi", who serves as the neighborhood's cultural guide and a roaming companion for visitors exploring the area.

In addition to providing voice-guided neighborhood tours and merchant discount inquiries, this character also shares stories about the hutong (alleyways) along the street through various communication formats.

Residents and tourists must log in to the mini-program. As they stroll through the neighborhood, they will automatically receive audio explanations of nearby cultural sites and merchant discounts based on their location.