Flowers draw tourists across China during Qingming Festival holiday

Flowers in full bloom across China are drawing crowds of local residents and tourists during the Qingming Festival holiday, as people embrace the season and fuel a vibrant economy.

Falling on April 5 this year, the Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival for honoring the deceased and paying tributes to ancestors. The three-day holiday also provides a short break for Chinese citizens to enjoy outdoor activities and sightseeing in pleasant springtime temperatures.

Data from a travel platform showed that since early April, search volume for "flower viewing" has risen by 24 percent from the previous week, driving a notable increase in ticket and accommodation bookings.

Homestays near popular flower-viewing spots or featuring landscape-oriented designs such as terraces and scenic windows have become top choices for travelers. Bookings for such accommodations during the holiday have increased by approximately 30 percent year on year.

In Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, large crowds of tourists gathered for a grand silkworm flower temple fair, coinciding with the spring blossom season.

The event, one of the most representative folk customs during the Qingming Festival in this silk-producing province, is held to pray for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest.

Amid a bustling sedan chair parade, "silk blossom fairies" adorned in traditional attire scattered flowers and candies to the crowds, symbolizing farmers' hopes for a prosperous silk season. "The silkworm flower temple fair draws us in. With recreational vehicle camping also available here, it is an ideal destination for a trip," said Chen Mingqi, a tourist.

In Lujiang County, Hefei City, east China's Anhui Province, golden rapeseed flowers and pink cherry blossoms blend into an enchanting spring landscape.

At night, an open-air concert and fireworks show were held in the flower fields.

"In the daytime, we can come and see the scenery and appreciate the flowers. It's very pleasant. At night, we can listen to concerts, and that makes me feel that life is very colorful," said Wang Ling, another tourist.

In Kunming City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, flowers of all colors are in full bloom, drawing crowds of visitors. Local parks and surrounding shopping malls have jointly launched services including special coupons, a spring fair, and free parking. These measures have not only enhanced park visitors' experience but also unleashed the vitality of consumption.

"Our cumulative customer numbers have risen 35 percent from previous days, and overall retail sales have grown by 38 percent. Meanwhile, small convenience stores and cultural and creative stalls around the park have seen sales increase by about 30 percent compared to usual due to the influx of tourists, driving an uptick in consumption across the area," said Fu Hong, general manager of Wuyue Plaza in Chenggong District.

In Shenzhen City, south China's Guangdong Province, tourists taking helicopter rides to view the blossoms have become a viral sensation, significantly boosting the local low-altitude economy.

Flowers draw tourists across China during Qingming Festival holiday

China is willing to continue working with Russia within the framework of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, maintain timely communication on major issues, and make joint efforts to help de-escalate the situation in the Middle East, safeguard regional peace and stability, and uphold common security for the world, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

China and Russia, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, should uphold fairness and justice on matters of principle, adopt an objective and balanced approach, and seek greater understanding and support from the international community, Wang said.

Noting that China has consistently advocated the resolution of international and regional hotspot issues through dialogue and negotiation, Wang said that the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, hostilities are still escalating, and the fundamental solution to ensuring navigation through the Strait of Hormuz lies in achieving an early ceasefire and bringing the war to an end.

For his part, Lavrov said Russia is highly concerned about the continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

Regarding the ongoing conflict and the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, Lavrov said Russia maintains that military operations must be stopped immediately and efforts should return to the track of political and diplomatic settlement to address the root causes of the conflict, and the UN Security Council should play a constructive role in this regard.

Russia stands ready to maintain close communication and coordination with China and continue to make efforts and speak out in support of a ceasefire and the end of the war, he said.

China willing to cooperate with Russia to de-escalate Mideast situation: FM