China's Qingming Festival holiday, spanning Saturday to Monday, saw millions of families and travelers pour into scenic spots nationwide, where spring blossoms and cultural fairs turned the long weekend into a surge of outdoor tourism and seasonal consumption.
The Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival for honoring the deceased and paying tributes to ancestors. The holiday also provides a short break for residents to enjoy outdoor activities and sightseeing in pleasant springtime temperatures.
Across China, scenic spots are reporting record crowds as spring flowers burst into bloom, from pear blossoms blanketing Dangshan in Anhui Province, to seas of tulips coloring Kashgar in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and peach blossoms cascading through the valleys of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province.
In Hualong, Qinghai Province, apricot blossoms stretch along the Yellow River, luring visitors to riverside fairs that combine seasonal scenery with cultural experiences during the holiday.
"This year's apricot blossoms are especially beautiful. The pink and white flowers covering the mountainsides along the Yellow River are absolutely refreshing," said tourist Wei Jinlian.
The holiday coincides with the first spring break for primary and secondary schools in many regions, heating up the tourism market further. Across 11 cities in Zhejiang Province, 276 scenic spots are offering free or discounted admission along with family-friendly policies to create better family outing experiences for residents and tourists.
In Sichuan Province and Guizhou Province, tourist attractions saw an increasing number of student educational tours during the festival.
"I'm on spring break, so grandma brought us here. The clothes here are beautiful, and there are flowers on the headpieces too. I'll share this with my classmates when I get back," said young tourist Zeng Siyi after trying on traditional attire of the Miao ethnic group at the Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village scenic area in Leishan.
Fairs offering interactive cultural experiences such as DIY qingtuan, a sweet, jade-colored rice desert for Qingming Festival, also drew huge crowds of visitors during the holiday. Meanwhile, some major scenic areas across the country are reporting double digit increase of tourist volumes comparing to las year.
Chinese families embrace Qingming Festival with spring travel, cultural activities
