Richer, immersive experiences fuel China's holiday consumption

As the final notes of the national anthem faded into the early morning air, tears welled in Wang Fang's eyes.

It was 4 a.m. on October 1, but 101,000 people had already gathered at Beijing's Tian'anmen Square, waiting for the moment when the five-starred red flag would rise with the sun.

For Wang, who was visiting Beijing for the first time with her middle-school-aged son after traveling hundreds of miles from Linyi in east China's Shandong Province, the moment was more than a ceremony. It was a memory they would carry home, and a glimpse of what the National Day holiday means to an ordinary family.

Across China, the arrival of October brought a similar sense of occasion. What began as a day marking the founding of the country has evolved into one of the year's longest breaks, with the week-long "Golden Week" putting millions of people on the move.

The holiday offered a vivid snapshot of a China where strong emotional ties and an active consumer economy came together, reflecting the vitality and resilience of its high-quality development.

Red landmarks draw holiday crowds

National pride has emerged as a defining theme of China's National Day holiday, with travelers visiting iconic landmarks, retracing revolutionary history and turning their trips into meaningful cultural experiences.

Bookings for red tourism have also risen significantly year on year, with many families adding visits to revolutionary sites to their holiday itineraries.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March. In Yudu County, east China’s Jiangxi Province, the memorial park marking the starting point of the Central Red Army's Long March has attracted large numbers of students and tourists. Nearly 300,000 visitors are expected to visit the site during the seven-day holiday.

The growing popularity of revolutionary landmarks reflects a strong emotional connection to China's history and revolutionary traditions, said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy. He emphasized the importance of presenting historical facts accurately while telling stories in an engaging way, enabling visitors of all ages to better understand, connect with and reflect on the history they encounter.

Immersive experiences fuel new consumption

Beyond traditional sightseeing, immersive experiences are also reshaping holiday consumption as cultural and tourism offerings become increasingly diverse.

In southwest China's Chongqing, for example, restaurants are combining hotpot with experiences themed around the city's ports, industrial heritage and outdoor camping.

Visitors can also take part in activities that combine low-altitude flights with hands-on experiences such as fishing and making traditional snacks, offering a taste of countryside life in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

In the first three days of the holiday, from October 1 to 3, foot traffic and revenue at 78 major shopping streets and commercial districts monitored by the Ministry of Commerce rose by 3.4% and 5.3% year on year, respectively.

Notably, the government's consumer goods trade-in program drove 19.63 billion yuan (about $2.91 billion) in sales over the same period, benefiting 3.48 million consumers.

Film goes beyond the screen to drive new consumption

The holiday's film market is also creating new opportunities for businesses.

Family-friendly films are emerging as a key draw during this year's National Day holiday, with a lineup spanning animation, crime thrillers, comedy and socially themed dramas aimed at moviegoers across the generations.

At the same time, cinemas are expanding beyond traditional movie screenings. At a cinema in Nanshan District of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, moviegoers can also find a city bookstore, head spa and wellness services, as well as an esports area, allowing them to read, relax or unwind before or after a film.

A movie museum in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, houses a large collection of audio and visual artifacts dating back to the 1950s. Its exhibition spaces recreate the look and feel of appliance stores from the 1980s and 1990s.

By bringing film and television resources into its collection and exhibitions, the museum is exploring new ways to preserve local folk culture while making cultural services more accessible to the community.