Holiday crowds enjoy colorful activities across China

China

Holiday crowds enjoy colorful activities across China

2026-04-06 16:58 Last Updated At：17:37

From the cherry tomato fields of south China's Hainan Province to the misty peaks of Wuyishan in east China's Fujian Province, holidaymakers across China embraced the outdoors during the Qingming break.

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

At a cherry tomato base in Tanli Village, Ding'an City of Hainan, tourists, in small groups carrying baskets, fully immersed themselves in the joy of picking.

This year, Ding'an County has planted cherry tomatoes across 10,000 mu (about 666.67 hectares) of land. The area has now entered the peak harvest period, with a daily harvest volume of 300,000 kilograms. The mature fruit industry has also enabled local villagers to find employment and increase their incomes close to home.

It is known that the sorting process alone employs over 100 people daily, all recruited from nearby villages, with each worker earning approximately 300 yuan (about 41.1 U.S. dollars) per day. The small cherry tomato has become a "sweet fruit" that helps boost local farmers' incomes and drives rural revitalization.

Wuyishan in Fujian Province is a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site. During this Qingming holiday, Wuyishan is bathed in gentle spring sunshine and lush greenery. Fresh green leaves are spreading across the mountains, and flowers are blooming one after another, attracting tourists from across the country for spring outings.

At the popular scenic spot, Jiuqu Stream, tourists boarded bamboo rafts and drifted along the emerald waters, enjoying the magnificent peaks on both banks and experiencing the breathtaking scenery.

"I drove here from Xiamen yesterday. I think the scenery in Wuyishan is particularly charming," said a tourist surnamed Huang.

In addition to water tours, many tourists choose to hike along mountain trails, experiencing the changing seasons of Wuyishan amid the forests.

In the 300-meter-long Song Dynasty Street where buildings are designed to emulate Song Dynasty architecture, tourists strolled leisurely, sipping tea and tasting local snacks, immersing themselves in the cultural and historical atmosphere of Wuyishan.

Footage shows wreckage of US warplanes left behind in southern Isfahan after rescue mission

Exclusive footage recorded by China Media Group (CMG) on Monday shows the wreckage of U.S. military aircraft left behind in the southern part of Iran's Isfahan province, following an American rescue operation in the area.

On April 3, a U.S. twin-seat fighter jet was shot down over Iran's Isfahan Province. Both crew members ejected and survived, according to U.S. officials, who said one was rescued shortly after the crash, while the other was not recovered until two days later.

Meanwhile, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces said on Sunday that four U.S. military aircraft, including two C-130 Hercules military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters, had been shot down during the U.S. mission to rescue the pilot, according to the official news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

The aircraft were targeted during joint operations by the forces of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), army, voluntary Basij fighters and law enforcement in the south of central Isfahan Province, IRNA reported.

The two sides have offered conflicting accounts of the U.S. rescue operation and the downing of the aircraft.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that U.S. forces had rescued both, with no American casualties. One day later, he added that the second crew member was rescued with serious injuries.

U.S. sources said hundreds of U.S. special forces entered Iran overnight on Saturday to rescue the pilot. Two C-130 transport planes broke down during the mission, the sources said, adding that U.S. forces destroyed four helicopters and the two disabled planes prior to withdrawing to prevent them from being captured.

However, sources within Iran's military said that further investigations had shown that the four U.S. aircraft were shot down. The U.S. attempted a rescue operation at an abandoned airport in Isfahan, but Iranian forces intervened in time, leading to the "complete failure" of the U.S. rescue mission, they said.