Diverse tourism experiences draw visitors during May Day Holiday

Many regions across China are using their natural surroundings to give visitors a wide range of experiences during the five-day May Day holiday that ends on Tuesday.

Ordos in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has transformed its desert landscape into a tourism magnet, offering off-road racing, grassland cultural experiences, and immersive entertainment.

Over 500 off-road vehicles and more than 2,000 drivers from across the country gathered from Saturday to Monday in the Kubuqi Desert in Hangjin Banner of Ordos for an intense desert racing competition.

Drawing crowds of spectators, drivers use the momentum from the sand dune peaks to perform high-difficulty maneuvers, such as drifting and jumping, as they navigate their routes.

"The desert features small dunes and complex terrain. It's a great training opportunity for every driver. The desert is challenging, but offers a lot of fun," said a race driver.

Water sports, lakeside camping, and eco-tours are catching on in eastern and central Chinese cities, driving a new wave of holiday tourism.

In Suqian City, east China's Jiangsu Province, tourists have flocked to the Zhuhai Leisure Sports Town over the holiday, with the water sports zone emerging as a popular destination for young people.

"There are so many activities here, like kayaking, go-karts, and camping. I just tried the water bike - it was really exciting and great fun," said Zou Yutong, a tourist.

In central China's Henan Province, the Danjiang Scenic Area in Xichuan County is known as the headwaters of the South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route Project. Its unique ecological resources have captivated visitors from across the country.

Local data shows that Xichuan received 624,000 tourists in the first three days of the May Day holiday, bringing in more than 300 million yuan in tourism revenue.

Diverse tourism experiences draw visitors during May Day Holiday

The Kiel Institute recently warned that the German auto industry could lose 15 billion euros (about 17.6 billion U.S. dollars) in short term from the 25 percent U.S. tariffs on cars of the European Union (EU).

The Kiel Institute, one of Germany's top five economic research institutions, reported on May 1 that the European automotive supply chain remains highly vulnerable to trade conflicts. According to its analysis, new U.S. car tariffs could result in short-term losses of 15 billion euros for Germany's auto sector, with long-term losses potentially reaching 30 billion euros.

In 2025, Germany exported approximately 3.17 million passenger cars, of which nearly 410,000 went to the United States, down nine percent year on year, according to the German Automotive Industry Association.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 1 on Truth Social that the EU was not complying with a trade agreement, and announced he will raise tariffs on European cars and trucks to 25 percent.

In response, the European Commission -- the executive arm of the 27-nation EU -- said it will keep options open to protect the EU's interests. A European Commission spokesperson said on the same day that the EU is implementing the relevant trade agreements in line with standard legislative procedures, and continues to keep the U.S. side fully informed throughout.

Leading research institution warns German auto industry could sustain heavy loss due to U.S. tariff hike