Shaoshan is one of China’s most significant “red tourism” destinations and a nationally recognized base for patriotic education. Every year, the city welcomes more than ten million visitors. As cultural tourism continues to integrate with digital technologies, such massive tourist flows place growing pressure on the city’s traffic organization and parking management.

During peak holidays, visitors once faced familiar challenges: congested main roads, parking spaces near key attractions filling up quickly, and vehicles circulating inside the scenic area searching for available spots—further worsening traffic congestion.

To improve tourism service quality and modernize urban management, Shaoshan launched the “My Shaoshan Trip” smart public service platform, making intelligent parking and traffic guidance a key component of the project. As the smart parking solution provider, JIESHUN designed and implemented an integrated system aimed at relieving traffic pressure through a combination of advanced technology and optimized management.

The Challenge: Managing Massive Tourist Traffic

The challenges faced by Shaoshan reflect those encountered by many major tourism destinations in China, but they are especially prominent due to the city’s historical and cultural significance.

High peak-time traffic pressure

During major holidays—such as China’s National Day Golden Week or commemorative events related to historical figures—self-driving tourists surge into the city within a short period of time. This influx often exceeds the design capacity of major access roads, leading to long queues of vehicles waiting to enter the scenic area.

Limited information for visitors

To protect the environment of the core scenic area, Shaoshan has implemented vehicle transfer policies requiring private cars to park in designated lots and transfer to shuttle transportation. However, some visitors were previously unaware of these policies before arrival, causing vehicles to drive into restricted zones and then turn back—creating traffic bottlenecks and confusion.

Uneven utilization of parking resources

Parking lots near the most popular attractions quickly reach full capacity during peak periods. Incoming vehicles then circulate slowly in search of spaces, reducing road efficiency. Meanwhile, some parking facilities located farther away remain underutilized, resulting in an imbalance in overall resource usage.

Limited real-time traffic coordination

Roads within the scenic area are relatively narrow, and tourist buses often share lanes with private vehicles. Without real-time monitoring and dynamic traffic control, traditional management methods struggle to intervene before congestion builds up.

Building a Smart Parking Ecosystem

To address these issues, JIESHUN developed a comprehensive smart parking solution tailored specifically for Shaoshan. Rather than simply installing new equipment, the project represents a systematic upgrade of the scenic area’s traffic management system.

A Unified Data Platform

At the foundation of the system is a centralized data platform. Multiple intelligent barrier gates and license plate recognition systems were installed at key parking facilities and major entrances. These devices collect real-time data, which is transmitted to the Shaoshan Smart Parking Cloud Platform.

The platform acts as a central data hub, integrating parking information across the entire scenic area. It eliminates data silos between different parking lots and provides managers with a unified “one-map overview” of all parking resources, enabling better planning, analysis, and decision-making.

Reservation + Guidance: A Dual Approach

To better manage traffic flow, the project introduced a combined system of parking reservations and real-time guidance.

Parking reservations

Through the official tourism platform, visitors can reserve parking spaces in advance or purchase ticket packages that include shuttle transportation services. When reserved vehicles arrive at the designated entrance, the system automatically recognizes their license plates and allows fast entry, separating pre-booked traffic from on-site arrivals and reducing congestion at checkpoints.

Multi-level parking guidance

A tiered information system provides continuous guidance as vehicles approach the scenic area:

• Level 1: Electronic information boards near highway exits display overall parking availability and traffic alerts.

• Level 2: Guidance screens on major approach roads show available spaces in different parking zones.

• Level 3: Digital signage at key intersections directs vehicles to specific parking lots with available capacity.

These updates are also pushed to visitors through the scenic area’s mobile apps and official social media channels, creating a coordinated online-and-offline information network.

A Complete “Parking Resource Map”

All public parking facilities and transfer centers in the scenic area are connected to the platform. Managers can monitor key metrics such as total capacity, real-time occupancy, and turnover rates through a single dashboard.

Visitors, meanwhile, can check parking availability around their destination with one click—eliminating the frustration of circling roads in search of a space.

From Manual Coordination to Digital Traffic Management

Since pilot operations began in October 2024 and the system was gradually expanded, the smart parking platform has delivered tangible improvements.

Digitalized Management

Using the centralized command platform, managers can view parking occupancy, traffic conditions, and operational statistics in real time on large control center screens. Dispatching and monitoring are now based on data insights rather than manual coordination.

Better Traffic Order During Peak Periods

The reservation system helps distribute peak traffic more evenly, while the multi-level guidance network directs incoming vehicles to available parking zones. This reduces long queues at main entrances and decreases congestion caused by drivers searching blindly for parking spaces.

Improved Parking Utilization

Transparent, real-time parking data encourages visitors to use facilities with available capacity. As a result, the imbalance between overcrowded and underused parking lots has been significantly reduced.

Enhanced Visitor Experience

Visitors report that advance reservations and real-time parking information reduce uncertainty before arrival. Faster payment and smoother exits further improve the overall travel experience, while tourism authorities note a decrease in visitor complaints related to parking and traffic congestion.

Smart Parking: A Key Step in Digitalizing Cultural Tourism

JIESHUN’s smart parking solution for the “My Shaoshan Trip” platform demonstrates how digital technology can significantly enhance public services at major tourism destinations. By addressing the practical challenge of parking management, the project not only alleviates long-standing traffic pressures but also improves the overall visitor experience.

More importantly, the case shows that smart tourism is not an abstract concept. It is built on practical, data-driven solutions that address real operational challenges for both visitors and destination managers.

Shaoshan’s experience offers a valuable reference for other high-traffic tourist destinations seeking to modernize infrastructure, optimize mobility management, and deliver a smarter travel experience.