China's nine-day Spring Festival holiday unleashed a wave of consumer spending, from folk fairs to robot shows and packed cinemas, underscoring robust holiday demand.
Immersive holiday travel spiked, with visitors flocking to everything ranging from intangible-heritage showcases to temple fairs and lantern festivals.
In Shilou County, north China's Shanxi Province, stilt walkers, yangko dancers and Jin-opera troupes dazzled the crowds. Shangqiu City in central China's Henan Province staged a bustling heritage fair where Sichuan Opera face-changing, plus dragon and lion dances, added much to festivity. At the foot of Mengshan Mountain in Linyi City, Shandong Province, a colorful folk parade brought the distinctive Yimeng culture within arm's reach of delighted tourists.
Traditional customs also collided with cutting-edge technology.
In Longyou County's historic South Gate district, Zhejiang Province, robot dogs and humanoid robots waved and wished visitors a "Happy Chinese New Year." One android even played rock-paper-scissors with tourists, drawing roars of laughter. A similar blend of "heritage plus tech" animated a spring fair in Anlu City, Hubei Province, where robots joined the welcome troupe.
Cinemas packed out as well.
Several blockbuster holiday releases were shot in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, and the city's familiar backdrops on screen stoked local movie-going fever.
China's fast-growing visa-free "friends circle" lured a rising tide of foreign visitors keen to ring in the Year of the Horse on Chinese soil. Online-platform data list Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Haikou, Chongqing, Wuhan and Harbin as the top entry points. In Shanghai, stilt shows and fish-lantern parades inside old Shikumen alleys amazed visitors. Mountainous Chongqing's vertiginous skyline and vibrant night scene proved another magnet. "Chongqing, it's incredible, just beautiful sites, everywhere, beautiful buildings," said Rhys Alvidson, an Australian tourist.
Spring Festival spending boosts holiday economy
