China's National Day holiday has traditionally been a time for Chinese citizens to travel and spend time with family. This year, the country witnessed a robust growth in tourism, as has the city of Xi'an. 

Data from online travel service provider Qunar shows that the number of air ticket bookings to Xi'an surged by 15 percent in the three days leading up to the holiday, as compared to the same period in 2019.

Located in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Xi'an has over 3,000 years of history and served as the capital for 13 dynasties in ancient China. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta Warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).

This city is the best witness of China's long history and time-honored cultures. The emerging popularity of traditional Hanfu dress, and more tourists donning traditional dresses to stroll the historic streets of Xi'an, has added even more to the feeling of immersing oneself in history. 

The city presents the unique amalgamation of stunningly ancient and modern architecture, allowing tourists from all over the world to dive into the richness and distinctiveness of its cultural heritage. It has long been a place where cultures meet, and is showing its charm as a modern metropolis.

One popular attraction of Xi'an during the eight-day holiday is the Daming Palace National Heritage Park, which served as the imperial palace complex during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).  Its ruins are the best preserved among all former imperial palaces in China. This UNESCO World Heritage site has undergone extensive restoration efforts, allowing visitors to experience the grandeur of this ancient palace complex. 

"Every time friends come to Xi'an, the first attraction is actually here, close to home. They eat paomo (chopped-up steamed leavened flatbread in lamb broth) and visit Danfeng Gate and Daming Palace," a local resident told CGTN at the park. "This area exudes a deep sense of history and cultural richness."

In addition to exploring the palace grounds, visitors also enjoyed a variety of cultural performances, traditional art displays, and the local cuisine, adding to the holiday experience.

"During the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, we provide a series of activities for tourists, such as wearing Chinese traditional costumes to take part in a parade, experience intangible cultural heritage and visiting the market in the style of the Tang Dynasty," said Chang Yu, vice general manager of Daming Palace National Heritage Park. 

"I really enjoy this place, there are many things to do, for example, the Hanfu experience, many delicious food. I also tried sugar painting, the experience is amazing," said Rian Neves, a vlogger from Brazil.

Chang told CGTN that as of Wednesday, the fourth day of the National Day holiday, the park has greeted over 300,000 tourists, reflecting a 200-percent increase compared to the previous year.

Besides being a famous tourist destination, Xi'an is also known for being the starting point of the ancient Silk Road and is now an important hub for today's Belt and Road Initiative, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

In May of this year, it successfully hosted the first China-Central Asia Summit, which culminated in a declaration by China and the Central Asian countries about cooperation in energy, science, healthcare and other areas.

And this ancient city also has a futuristic side. At the beginning of this year, Xi'an was approved as the home of "dual-center," a comprehensive national scientific center and a nationally influential science and technology innovation center, making it the fourth "dual-center" city in China to better support the country's objective of high-quality development.

The city has witnessed significant economic growth in the first half of this year, with its regional GDP increasing by 5.6 percent, 2.7 percentage points higher than the same period last year, according to the Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Statistics.

Reporter: Guo Meiping

Script: Guo Meiping, Zhong Xia

Videographer: Meng Hanjiang, Zhao Zhenkai

Video editor: Yu Rong