Scenic spots across China launch diversified activities to boost National Day tourism

Scenic spots across various regions of China have rolled out a range of activities to attract tourists during the eight-day National Day holiday that began Wednesday and this year will also encompass the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl Tower, a well-known landmark, has opened an exploration center of pet reptiles and insects. This center offers families traveling with children a unique experience by blending natural science education with interactive fun.

On the first day of the holiday, the Bund area along the Huangpu River in Shanghai welcomed over 560,000 visitors, a remarkable 21.8 percent increase from last year.

Meanwhile, the Museum of Art Pudong has introduced some measures to entice art lovers during the holiday, including extended opening hours and an all-access pass that allows entry to three exhibitions with just one ticket.

"We have extended our opening hours to 23:00. In addition, a range of activities are set to be held during the holiday, including a magnificent light show, outdoor movies, live band performance, concerts, and some other events. All of these are aimed at enhancing the joyful and festive atmosphere," said Li Minkun, head of the museum.

The Tianmen Mountain scenic area in Zhangjiajie, a renowned tourist city in Hunan Province, has illuminated its iconic 999 stone steps, known as "Stairway to Heaven", with colorful lights, creating a visual feast for visitors.

In addition, nighttime performances featuring a phoenix-shaped aircraft and flying apsaras inspired by the murals of the Mogao Caves in northwest China's Dunhuang City have added to the vibrant atmosphere.

"We came here today, this afternoon, around two o'clock. It's very relaxed, but it's very impressive to see the landscape and all the people also. People are very friendly to us," said Chris, a Dutch tourist.

In north China's Hebei Province, the Chengde Mountain Resort, built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and located about 230 kilometers north of Beijing, is also welcoming a surge of tourists.

There, performances infused with traditional Chinese culture offer visitors an immersive experience, allowing them to appreciate the unique local charm.

Scenic spots across China launch diversified activities to boost National Day tourism

A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.

Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.

"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.

Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.

"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.

At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.

Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.

"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.

Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security