"A concert in nature feels completely different from one in a stadium," Chen said. "You can hear the wind and the rustling leaves along with the music. It feels as if all your senses are heightened."

　　When the ancient town was developed as a relocation community in 2016, earth and rocks excavated during construction were used to reshape a low-lying hollow into the curved tiers following the natural contours of the hillside. Flowers, shrubs and other ornamental plants were later added, creating a public space for residents.

　　Viewed from above, the concentric curves resemble the ridges of a fingerprint, inspiring the site's name, the "Fingerprint of Earth".

　　The town is now home to more than 12,000 people relocated from different parts of Dafang county. Before becoming a concert venue, the terraces hosted community cultural activities, including folk-song performances and traditional Torch Festival celebrations.

　　This summer, a series of larger concerts brought the venue to a much wider audience. Featuring popular singers, the program is intended as a long-term, community-oriented cultural initiative that combines artistic quality with free public access. Rather than constructing a conventional auditorium, organizers have adapted the existing landscape, using the terraces as natural seating and illuminating the hillside's curves after dark.

　　The concerts have also driven a sharp increase in visitor numbers. According to local tourism authorities, the town recorded about 756,600 tourist visits between Aug 1 and Oct 1, up 154.7 percent year-on-year. Eight concerts held during this period attracted more than 296,000 visits.

　　On Oct 1 alone, Dafang recorded about 99,800 tourist visits, while Shexiang Ancient Town received around 58,000 visits, more than six times the figure recorded a year earlier.