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China bustles with colorful activities during May Day holiday

China

China

China

China bustles with colorful activities during May Day holiday

2025-05-03 01:58 Last Updated At:05:17

The five-day May Day holiday in China, which began on Thursday, has brought a diverse range of vibrant activities across the country, enhancing people's holiday experiences and filling the air with a joyful and celebratory atmosphere.

On the first day of the break, the ancient city of Kashgar in southwestern Xinjiang saw a surge in tourism, drawing visitors from across the country who wandered through its historic alleys to experience local customs firsthand.

Within a single day, the number of tourist trips to the ancient city had already surpassed 170,000 trips.

In Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province, the Dongguan Street Historic and Cultural Block -- a living testament to the city's century-long evolution -- has become a top attraction, featuring over 100 specialty shops that are especially popular with young tourists.

"It's bustling here. The market on this street is full of trendy elements and vibrant cultural flair. We're having a wonderful time here," said Ning Beichen, a local resident.

In Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, 32 parade formations and eight sets of art installations made their debut in Futian District, captivating tourists with vibrant dance performances that highlighted the unique artistic heritage of Lingnan culture.

In Cangnan County of Wenzhou City, in east China's Zhejiang Province, people have been unwinding by the seaside, taking part in lively activities like beach painting and water fights.

At an industrial park in Da'an, a city in northeast China's Jilin Province, locomotives from various eras have been on display, offering tourists a firsthand look at the rapid evolution of transportation through these historic exhibits.

As one of the most popular attractions in Harbin, capital of neighboring Heilongjiang Province, Central Street -- renowned for its diverse European-style architecture -- has been impressing tourists with a range of cultural activities, including food fairs, art exhibitions, and street performances.

The holiday nights have been just as exciting. In Xiaogan of central China's Hubei Province, a large-scale nighttime water performance has been captivating audiences, as tourists ride boats through various themed scenes to experience the beauty of light and shadow art.

In Suqian in east China's Jiangsu Province, attractions such as dozens of sand sculptures depicting characters and scenes from famous tales like "Ne Zha" and "Sun Wukong," along with drone light shows and fireworks, drew large crowds of tourists, many of whom took photos to capture the memorable experience.

Yangliuqing, an ancient town in north China's Tianjin, is hosting hundreds of performances each day throughout the holiday period, offering tourists an immersive cultural experience.

Meanwhile in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in southwest China, an outdoor concert is offering audiences a refreshing and delightful experience, with music, open fields, and the starry sky seamlessly coming together.

Rural tourism is also thriving. In Yao'an County in southwest China's Yunnan Province, vast fields of blooming roses are creating a romantic sea of flowers. Tourists are enjoying the floral scenery, joining in rose picking, and sampling a farm-style "flower banquet" featuring fresh blossoms.

In Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, tourists are exploring a rural farming experience area where they can fish in ponds and harvest fresh sugarcane from the fields. The village is also offering a variety of immersive agritourism activities.

China bustles with colorful activities during May Day holiday

China bustles with colorful activities during May Day holiday

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday launched the first phase of a new claims system that will allow importers to seek repayment of tariffs collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

Companies and their customs brokers can submit refund requests through CBP's Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) portal using a newly developed tool known as the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries, or CAPE, starting Monday.

Once a claim is validated, CBP will recalculate the duties without the IEEPA tariffs and reliquidate the entries, triggering repayment. The refunds will be paid directly to the businesses that originally paid the tariffs, local media reported Monday.

Valid refunds will generally be issued within 60 to 90 days after a claim is accepted, CBP said, though more complex cases could take longer.

CBP is rolling out the refund process in phases. Court filings show that more than 330,000 importers paid duties on over 53 million shipments, totaling roughly 166 billion U.S. dollars.

The Supreme Court ruled in February that U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs under IEEPA are unconstitutional. It is Congress, not the president, that holds authority over such taxes.

Following the ruling, a judge at the U.S. Court of International Trade directed CBP to remove the tariffs from affected entries and refund any excess duties collected, along with interest.

U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses

U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses

U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses

U.S. gov't begins refunding tariffs to businesses

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