People visit a shopping mall in Chongqing, southwest China, on May 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)
BEIJING, May 5 (Xinhua) – During the May Day holiday, which lasts from May 1 to May 5, many Chinese people set out to explore the vast country, highlighting China's economic vitality and resilience. are doing.
The city of Chongqing in southwestern China is famous for its expansive skyline, laid-back lifestyle and spicy hotpot, making it one of the most popular destinations.
Lao Xingge, a tourist from central China's Hubei province, visited the Shibati scenic spot, which is characterized by ancient staircases and buildings in various traditional styles, to appreciate this mountainous city's strong sense of history and unique topographical features. I was surprised.
“Shivati has a mix of old and modern,” Rao said. One side of the main aisle in the scenic area is lined with stores of trendy brands and fashion buyers. Meanwhile, on the other side are traditional shops selling vintage items, wood carvings, bronzeware and other products.
“Tourists are now paying more attention to quality and expecting personalized and diverse experiences,” said Yu Zhu, director of investment promotion for Shibati District.
“We need to make the most of the local culture and present it in a creative way to establish an emotional connection with tourists and allow scenic spots to maintain lasting vitality.”Yu he said.
As of 11 p.m. on May 3, Yuzhong Ward, where Shibati is located, had about 5 million tourists visiting during the holidays, an increase of more than 15% compared to the same period last year.
According to the local government, the district's overall tourism revenue increased by 17.5 percent to 4.28 billion yuan (approximately 591 million U.S. dollars) during the first three days of the holiday.
Meanwhile, a large number of tourists are also flowing into Jilin Province in northern China, where the famous tourist attraction Changbai Mountain is located.
The province received 3.21 million tourists on the first day of the holiday, an increase of 80% compared to the previous year, and the Changbaishan scenic spot received 17,100 tourists on the first day, an increase of more than 326%.
Passengers are seen in the waiting room of Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station in eastern China's Shanghai on May 1, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang)
Zuo Honlei, manager of the ticket management department of the tourist distribution center in the northern area of Changbaishan, said that the scenic spot has extended business hours and strictly implemented time-sharing and reservation policies to increase the tourist capacity. said.
The mountain management committee has attracted many food and beverage businesses, such as barbecue restaurants, cafes, and seafood restaurants, to the scenic spot's shopping street.
Yu Tingjiao, a tourist from East China's Jiangxi province, said, “This is my second time visiting Changbai Mountain.This time I not only enjoyed the beautiful scenery, but also sampled the local gourmet food all at once.'' , added: She also bought black wood ear mushrooms, ginseng, and other specialty products here.
The border city of Hunchun, located in the easternmost tip of Jilin Province, attracts tourists with a wide variety of products imported from Russia, South Korea, and Japan.
During the holidays, the Hunchun Northeast Asia Cross-Border E-Commerce Industrial Park received more than 15,000 tourists per day, an increase of 50%, and daily sales increased by 200% to more than 3 million yuan.
According to Sun Jufeng, director of Hunchun Demonstration Zone Reform and Innovation Bureau, the industrial park recently opened an exhibition hall with the theme of Russian bakery and king crab, and also held some discount activities.
Lower-market destinations are surging in popularity during this holiday period as infrastructure improves and hospitality capabilities expand.
Tourists experience drifting in Zhuquan Village, Yinan County, Linyi City, East China's Shandong Province, on May 1, 2024 (Photo by Wang Yanbing/Xinhua)
The small prefecture of Xingguo in Jiangxi Province has begun holding music shows, comedy shows, and folk music parties to cater to curious tourists.
Li Yong came to the county from neighboring Fujian province. “My family plans to stay here during the holidays, eat delicious food, enjoy the shows and take in the views,” Lee said. “It’s not like before when you would have to travel from place to place and spend a lot of time struggling to secure tickets as well as planning the entire trip.”
According to Trip.com's market forecasts, hotel bookings in county-level markets surged 68% year-over-year during the holiday period. Data shows that trips to rural areas are up 42% compared to the same period last year.
China's rail network is expected to handle 144 million passenger trips during the eight-day May Day holiday from April 29 to May 6, with a travel rush, according to China Railway. ■