Tourists flocked to scenic areas and heritage towns across China on Thursday as the seven-day National Day holiday began, with cultural performances, cruises and fireworks adding to celebrations marking the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
More than 300,000 people visited Beijing's Tiananmen area on the first day of the holiday, many carrying national flags and posing for photos.
On Gulangyu Island off Xiamen, in the eastern province of Fujian, music filled the lanes of the UNESCO World Heritage site. At a waterfront performance, a pianist played a duet with a piano-playing robot, while children also took to the stage.
For travelers seeking open landscapes, the choices ranged from the dunes of Minqin County in northwestern Gansu Province, where visitors walked on the sand and tried off-road rides, to the Xiaoqikong Scenic Area in southwestern Guizhou Province. The latter is known for a seven-arched stone bridge, green waters and waterfalls set amid Libo County's World Heritage-listed karst landscape.
Farther south, visitors stopped at Detian Transnational Waterfall in Daxin County, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on the border with Vietnam. Others headed to the coast, with more than 6,000 people visiting Wuzhizhou Island off Sanya, in the southern island province of Hainan, on the first day of the holiday.
"With the sea and mountains all around us and red national flags everywhere, I felt especially proud to be enjoying our country's beautiful scenery while celebrating National Day," said visitor Yu Bin.
The holiday trip could also be a journey through regional culture. In the eastern province of Shandong, visitors to Dongwanyuan Scenic Area in Linqing watched stage performances and sampled local food. In neighboring Jiangsu Province, Jiulongkou Scenic Area in Jianhu County featured Huai Opera, a regional form of traditional Chinese opera, alongside folk performances.
In the southwest, craft workshops and cultural markets lined both banks of the Nanhe River in Chengdu's Xinjin District, showcasing traditions from Sichuan Province and neighboring Chongqing.
Back in eastern China, the canals and old buildings of Xinshi Ancient Town in Zhejiang Province provided a setting for handmade crafts and stalls selling freshly prepared local snacks.
"You can see historic buildings here and try your hand at traditional crafts. There are tea cakes and glutinous rice cakes, too. It feels so relaxing, and you can really feel the National Day atmosphere," said visitor Luo Yanqi.
After dark, the festivities shifted to the waterfront. In Shanghai, fireworks lit up the sky over Wusongkou. On a Huangpu River sightseeing cruise, passengers watched a robot perform martial arts, while children interacted with it against a backdrop of illuminated buildings.
Along Tianjin Municipality's Haihe River, a light show projected city landmarks and scenes of local life. Fireworks also burst above the Yangtze River in Wuhan, in central Hubei Province, and over the Gan River in Nanchang, in eastern Jiangxi Province. In Nanchang, the display rose beyond Tengwang Pavilion, the city's riverside landmark, putting the illuminated structure and fireworks in the same view.
The celebrations continued in Hong Kong, where more than 30,000 fireworks shells lit up Victoria Harbour on Thursday night. Macao marked the anniversary with fireworks and a cultural gala, including an orchestral performance.
China's National Day holiday draws crowds to scenic spots, festive celebrations
China's National Day holiday draws crowds to scenic spots, festive celebrations
