China is gearing up for a travel boom ahead of the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday starting from Wednesday, with destinations across the country launching special cultural and leisure activities to attract visitors.
Tourist arrivals have already picked up in Shangri-La City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. The city launched a series of tourism activities, allowing visitors to hike and enjoy natural scenery by day, and experience folk culture by night.
"Experiencing different ethnic culture is wonderful, and the dances are very beautiful.These are all things we cannot experience back in Henan," said Yao Xing, a tourist from Henan Province in central China.
As of Saturday, hotel reservations for the holiday period had reached 55 percent, with a tourist arrival of 1.5 million expected.
The boom has extended to Jiuzhaigou National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in southwest China's Sichuan Province. Stretching over 72,000 hectares, it is known for spectacular waterfalls, lush forest, serene plateau lakes, and karst rock formations.
This year, with the Jiuzhaigou-Mianyang expressway set to open on Monday, travel time between Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou will be shortened to around four hours, further boosting travel demand. Tickets for Oct 2 to 6 have already sold out so far, with the scenic area hitting its daily maximum capacity of 41,000 visitors.
For travelers without tickets, nearby attractions including Shenxianchi scenic area and Jiawuhai Conservation and Research Park of Giant Panda are being promoted as alternatives. Hotel bookings in the surrounding area of Jiuzhaigou National Park are up nearly 30 percent compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile in Beijing, a series of history-and culture-themed night tour programs have been launched for tourists from across the country and abroad. The wall of old Wanping city has opened to the public. A total of 12 special activities centered around this ancient site will be launched during the holiday.
Moreover, the Juyongguan Great Wall Scenic Area in Beijing's Changping District has launched a night tour program and set up light-based art installations, presenting a visual feast to visitors.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, observed on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Chinese calendar, falls on Oct 6 this year.
China tourism market heats up as eight-day holiday approaches
The three astronauts of China's recently-returned Shenzhou-20 mission on Friday shared the experiences of their dramatic 204-day space mission, including detailing the emergency procedures which were implemented to bring them safely home after their return capsule was struck by space debris.
The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie -- met with the press in Beijing on Friday afternoon, marking their first public appearance since returning to Earth in November.
When detailing the emergency response mechanisms which were enacted prior to their scheduled return, the astronauts explained that upon discovering a triangular crack on the spacecraft's viewport window, they immediately took photos for documentation and transmitted them to the ground team, who swiftly activated an emergency plan to get the trio home safely.
Experienced mission commander Chen Dong explained how the crew had complete faith in their colleagues on the ground to find a solution to these unforeseen circumstances which led to their return being delayed.
"First, we must trust the ground team, who would anticipate everything and develop the safest return plan for us. Second, we must believe in ourselves; as well-trained astronauts, we have the ability to manage various unexpected failures. I believe that with the collaboration of astronauts and researchers on the ground, our space home will surely go farther, more steadily, and for a longer time," he said.
Following their extended stay in space as a result of the debris incident, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent a total 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest duration by a single group of Chinese astronauts.
During their mission, they completed multiple payload operations, conducted extensive scientific experiments, and carried out four extravehicular activities.
"Our crew worked together with the ground team in unity and coordination, completing four extravehicular activities, several payload entry and exit tasks, and a large number of scientific experiments. It was a fulfilling yet challenging mission. The path to exploring the heavens is long and arduous, but I firmly believe that China's space missions will succeed," said Chen Zhongrui, a former air force pilot who was making his first spaceflight during the mission.
"From the ground to space, from learning to application, I have deeply felt the solid progress of Chinese space endeavors and the quiet dedication of countless personnel behind the scenes. In the future, I will accomplish each mission with full commitment, living up to the trust of the motherland and the people," said fellow astronaut Wang Jie, who was also making his debut spaceflight.
After returning to Earth on Nov 14, the trio successfully completed their isolation recovery and rehabilitation and will now resume normal training following health assessments.
The crew's return, originally scheduled for Nov 5, was postponed due to safety concerns, with the astronauts later using the return capsule belonging to their successor crew of the Shenzhou-21 mission to get back to Earth. China later launched the unmanned Shenzhou-22 spacecraft which will serve the future return of the crew now aboard the Tiangong Space Station.
Shenzhou-20 astronauts share experiences after safely returning from debris incident
