Various tourist attractions across China have been teaming with visitors since the country's five-day May Day holiday began on Thursday, as cities and towns vie with each other to lure holidaymakers with innovative tourism offerings.
At a scenic area in Zibo City of east China's Shandong Province, a cultural show based on a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) classic novel, which distinctively unfolds on an illuminated stage above the water, have attracted 100,000 tourist visits in the first three days of the holiday, driving a 10-percent year-on-year rise in the area's tourism revenue.
"Such kind of show is rarely seen elsewhere. It brings our visual sense and heart on a magical adventure," said Hu Lili, a tourist.
Other tourist sites including a section of the Great Wall in Qinhuangdao of north China's Hebei Province and the Laojun Mountain in Luoyang of central China's Henan Province, are incorporating modern technologies like holographic laser projection to better present their splendor to the holiday crowds.
The Laojun Mountain has also adopted trendy robot dogs to serve the climbers and prepared captivating cultural shows that have been drawing packed audiences during the holiday.
In Henan's Sanmenxia City, the popular traditional underground cave dwellings are offering hundreds of creative and cultural heritage products, which has greatly helped boost local consumer spending. Further south in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, an innovative daytime performance combining lion dance, the Cantonese opera, and martial arts, as well as dazzling fireworks exploding in the night sky against the soundtrack of a lakeside concert show have mesmerized numerous tourists from across the country.
"I traveled here specifically to experience the Lingnan culture. The performance is nothing like what I have seen elsewhere. Next I will visit the Ancestral Temple and local cuisines in Shunde [in Foshan]," said a tourist from Hebei.
This year's May Day holiday lasts through Monday.
May Day holiday sees packed tourist attractions across China
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
