China sees surge in Int'l arrival during Spring Festival as global travelers embrace cultural festivities

China's Spring Festival, the country's most cherished holiday for family reunions, is increasingly becoming a magnet for international visitors, with international flight bookings rising sharply.

As a cultural powerhouse in its own right, the Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year, with its rich traditions and immersive experiences, is cementing China's status as a must-visit global destination.

China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) forecasts that the average daily number of inbound and outbound travelers nationwide will surpass 2.05 million during the Spring Festival holiday, up 14.1 percent year on year.

Driven by the country's visa-free policy and consumption-incentive measures, both inbound and outbound tourism is expected to grow during the nine-day holiday period beginning Sunday, the NIA said.

At the Beijing International Airport, the arriving visitors shared their excitement about discovering China's diverse landscapes and hospitality.

"I'm here for almost 6 months, so I will go to almost every province if possible. Hopefully I [can go] to Xi'an, of course, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Shanghai, maybe other places as well," said a tourist from Germany.

"I go to Hainan because everybody that travels in China should be there at least once, right? And also the seafood is very famous," said a tourist from South America.

Data from Fliggy, a leading online travel platform shows that over the past two weeks, flight bookings by international travelers for the Spring Festival period have quadrupled compared to last year. Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, and Chengdu top the list of the most popular first-entry cities.

"I think it's pretty cool. It's totally different from like Europe or anything else I've ever seen. I haven't seen enough, to be honest, but I do love the food, I do love the culture. I think you guys are very united and there's a big community in China for sure. I definitely have to travel back and like get to know it better and see other cities, which I'm very excited about," said a tourist from Switzerland fresh from a trip in Beijing.

China sees surge in Int'l arrival during Spring Festival as global travelers embrace cultural festivities

A Chinese Suzhou-style garden in the United States ushered in the Year of the Horse with special events such as cultural performances, family crafts, lion dances and mini horse meet and greet.

The Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon - Suzhou's sister city - was constructed in 2000 to mirror Suzhou's "Master of the Nets" garden. It is usually a haven for quiet contemplation.

But on the first day of the Year of the Horse on Tuesday, it was anything but quiet -- filled with lion dances, traditional crafts, and much more.

The God of Wealth handed out lucky red envelopes, and taught kids the right way to receive them.

"What did you learn about the envelope?" asked a mother.

"You have to take it with two hands," her young daughter said.

So many showed up, lines wrapped around the corner, with visitors saying the wait was worth it.

"It's fantastic, very fun, the kids have enjoyed it a lot," said a visitor.

Organizers set up hands-on stations for traditional Chinese arts, from woodblock printing and stencil painting to jianzhi -- Chinese paper-cutting, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

"I feel like I am back in kindergarten," said another visitor.

To mark the zodiac shift, the garden held a handover ceremony - from the Year of the Snake to the Year of the Horse.

"She's super soft, you can pet her both ways. Last year there was a lot of change in my life. Ready for the year of the horse!" said the snake handler.

Visitors could even meet the zodiac symbol up close -- a 21-year-old rescue miniature horse named Milo.

For a quieter moment -- a chance to learn about calligraphy and why a certain Chinese character gets hung upside down around the New Year, as it means "good fortune has arrived".

Cultural education, organizers say, is the garden's mission year-round -- in what's considered as one of the most authentic Suzhou-style scholar gardens in North America.

"For a lot of people who come in here, it's really the first time that they've had a direct opportunity to feel or see what it might be like to be in China," said Elizabeth Nye, executive director of the garden.

Chinese garden in US ushers in Year of Horse with special events