An increasing number of foreign tourists are coming to China to immerse themselves in the holiday's vibrant atmosphere and rich cultural traditions during this year's Spring Festival.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian highlighted that the number of inbound flight bookings for the festive period more than quintupled year-on-year as of Feb 6.
The Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, falls on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar and involves a variety of social practices to usher in the new year, pray for good fortune, celebrate family reunions and promote community harmony.
This year, it falls on on Feb 17, ushering in the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the Chinese zodiac.
As the most important festival in the Chinese culture, it is drawing an increasing level of international interests and recognition.
"We're here to visit friends and relatives. I am not sure about what we are gonna do but I'm sure there's a lot of eating going on," said a tourist from the U.S.
"To see the Chinese [New] Year in Shanghai, to eat and to see the Chinese market," a Spanish visitor said.
Meanwhile, data from a travel platform showed that over the past month, ticket orders by overseas tourists for intangible cultural heritage events, such as traditional lantern fairs and Peking Opera performances, surged more than sixfold compared to the same period of last year.
Hotel booking records underscored the trend, with nearly one in three guests during the Spring Festival identified as foreign visitors.
"As of Friday morning, Shanghai's immigration authorities had processed 594,000 inbound foreign visitors this year, up 38.5 percent year on year. The top source countries include the Republic of Korea, Japan, Russia, the United States and Thailand," said Shan Chengfei, a border inspection official from Shanghai.
The Spring Festival has been inscribed into the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the UNESCO in 2024.
Inbound tourism booms as overseas visitors flock to experience Chinese New Year
