China saw a total of 105 million tourists during the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, with a year-on-year increase of 7.6 percent, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT).
It generated domestic tourism revenue of 47.28 billion yuan (6.7 billion U.S. dollars), up 8.7 year on year.
Shanghai streets see large crowds of people on the first day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, September 13, 2019. /VCG Photo
Many events promoting family values, patriotism and traditional Chinese culture were held across China.
Up to 50 outdoor recreational activities took place in 11 public parks in Beijing. On the first day of the holiday alone, Beijing parks welcomed more than 300,000 visitors.
At the Summer Palace, over 2,000 colorful palace lanterns were set along the eastern dam of Kunming Lake. In the octagonal pavilion, performances of the Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera attracted lines of visitors.
Visitors at the Summer Palace in Beijing, September 14, 2019. /VCG Photo
Night tourism has become a new buzzword among travelers with many tourist attractions in China offering night tours for moon-watch, lantern shows as well as other leisure activities during the holiday.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, is traditionally a time for family reunion in China, which fell on Friday this year, during which time people eat mooncakes, admire the moon, and celebrate good harvest in rural areas.
(With input from Xinhua, China Daily)
(Cover: A foreign tourist joins the ethnic dancing with the local people in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, September 15, 2019. /VCG Photo)