Old towns in Shanxi brace for tourist surge during Dragon Boat Festival holiday

World-famous ancient towns in north China's Shanxi Province are expected to see a significant tourist peak during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday period from Friday to Sunday.

Pingyao Ancient City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is projected to receive an average of around 50,000 visitors per day during the holiday period, according to the local tourism bureau.

To manage the anticipated crowds, the local authorities have deployed additional personnel to monitor visitor density in real time and guide tourists for orderly movement.

Founded during the Western Zhou Dynasty more than 2,700 years ago, Pingyao stands as a remarkably preserved example of a typical city from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Meanwhile, the ancient town in Xinzhou City is also preparing for a major influx during the three-day holiday, with an expected daily visitor volume of about 60,000.

The scenic area has extended its opening hours and released notices regarding parking arrangements, performance schedules, and crowd control measures to encourage visitors to tour during off-peak times.

Xinzhou has a profound history that can be traced back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220).

Old towns in Shanxi brace for tourist surge during Dragon Boat Festival holiday

Phase Three of the 140th China Import and Export Fair, commonly known as the Canton Fair, is currently underway in Guangzhou, the capital city of south China's Guangdong Province, drawing a record number of top international buyers.

To foster global partnerships, the event has optimized its business promotion and matchmaking services.

As of Monday, 163 overseas business organizations had participated, marking a 5.8 percent increase year on year. A total of 494 top purchasing enterprises from around the world have attended, an increase of 21.4 percent over the previous year, setting a new record.

The 140th Canton Fair runs in three phases from Oct 15 to Nov 4.

Covering 515,000 square meters with 25,000 booths, the third and final phase features 21 exhibition zones across five major categories, including toys and baby products, fashion, home textiles, stationery, and health and leisure products, with more than 12,000 companies participating.

Over the past 70 years, the fair has grown into China's largest and longest-running international trade event, boasting the broadest product range, largest buyer turnout, and highest transaction volume.

140th Canton Fair draws record number of top int'l buyers