Overlapping holidays boost tourism at China's film-themed attractions

Film-themed tourist destinations across China saw a surge in visitor numbers during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday, as the traditional festival overlapped with new spring break in several regions, creating a longer travel window and boosting domestic tourism.

The Tangcheng Film and Television Base in Xiangyang City in central China's Hubei Province, laid on extra events to take advantage of the overlapping holidays, resulting in a healthy rise in visitor numbers.

"During this year's Qingming holiday, we received a total of 71,800 visits, up 24 percent year on year compared with 2025. Thanks to the spring break policy this year, our peak tourism season started earlier than before. It also brought in more cross-provincial tourists to our scenic area, and both the visitor volume and the proportion of tourists from other provinces increased," said Wang Liang, general manager of the Tangcheng Film and Television Base.

To entertain the visitors, Tangcheng hosted a series of all-day interactive performances and themed programs, offering tourists an immersive experience built around traditional culture and film production settings.

Similar scenes were reported in east China's Zhejiang Province, where the Hengdian World Studios, one of the largest active film and television studios in the world, also welcomed a wave of tourists.

Family visitors, particularly parents traveling with children, were the main drivers of the tourism boom, according to the scenic area.

"We are here in Hengdian mainly thanks to the spring break. My child has worked hard at school so I think she can take a break here," a tourist said.

Local hospitality business operators in the area also noted visitor flows were significantly higher than in previous years, with family travel rising sharply.

Several provinces across the country introduced their first-ever spring break this year. The break typically lasts two or three days, but falls at different times. In some areas, the break comes just before the three-day Qingming Festival in early April, while in others it extends into the May Day holiday or is combined with weekends, resulting in a break of five to eight days.

The new vacation not only allows children to connect with nature in spring and reduces students' academic burden, but also creates a window for family travel, which is expected to boost tourism and consumption.

Overlapping holidays boost tourism at China's film-themed attractions

China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao outlined the key priorities of the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, which opened on Friday in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province.

In an interview with CGTN ahead of the two-day meeting, Wang said free trade, digital cooperation and green economy are high on the agenda of the meeting.

"The key areas include advancing regional economic integration and the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, supporting the World Trade Organization (WTO) in strengthening digital cooperation and developing green economy. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined turbulence and chaos, with intensified geopolitical instability. The rise of unilateralism and protectionism poses serious challenges to the international economic and trade order, disrupting global and Asia-Pacific development. Against this backdrop, all parties have higher expectations for this trade ministers' meeting, hoping that it can build consensus and deliver outcomes," Wang said.

This year marks China's third time hosting the APEC meetings and the 35th anniversary of its membership.

By 2025, China had become the largest trading partner of 13 APEC economies. Trade between China and APEC economies reached 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 57.8 percent of China's total foreign trade.

China has signed 24 free trade agreements or economic and trade arrangements with 31 countries and regions, including 15 APEC economies. In recent years, China has also completed upgrades of free trade agreements with APEC economies such as Singapore and Peru.

The minister said that China has always been a firm supporter and an important contributor to APEC.

"We have actively shared our vast market and development opportunities with all parties. China's door to the world will only open wider and wider. Facing the common challenges, China will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a major country, further deepen reform, expand high-standard opening-up, and continue to provide new opportunities for the Asia-Pacific region and the world with its new achievements in Chinese modernization," the minister said.

China's Commerce Minister outlines priorities for 32nd APEC trade ministers' meeting