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Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, saw its cultural tourism sector flourish over the New Year holiday.
Travel bookings for Yangzhou on New Year's Day skyrocketed by 194 percent year-on-year. During the three-day holiday, key cultural tourism venues saw an 18.49 percent increase in daily visits compared to the previous year.
Tourists engage in a festive activity at the Slender West Lake scenic area. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
Scenic spots came alive with New Year celebrations, with an event at Slender West Lake drawing over 60,000 visitors. Other highlights included the bell-ringing ceremony at Wenfeng Temple, the cultural show at Geyuan Garden, and the blessing-writing event at Heyuan Garden.
Shopping malls offered a variety of festivities. Jinghua City hosted a New Year's Eve concert and featured a stunning naked-eye 3D giant screen for the countdown. SM City Yangzhou held a concert, Golden Eagle Plaza organized a burger festival, and Wuyue Plaza staged a music festival, creating a lively festive ambiance.
A fish lantern parade attracts crowds in Dongguan Street. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
Bazaars focusing on canal culture, plush toys, culinary delights, cute pets, and floral displays were held across the city. The market on Dongguan Street was a major hit, thanks to its captivating fish lantern parades.
Yangzhou Concert Hall and the Grand Canal Grand Theater presented three New Year concerts with top orchestras from home and abroad. Deyunshe, a renowned cross-talk club in China, gave two consecutive performances. Small theaters also enjoyed high popularity, with over 100 shows staged.
The China Grand Canal Museum, Yangzhou Museum, and other venues launched more than 20 high-quality exhibitions and organized over 100 social education activities during the period, attracting over 100,000 visitors.
Yangzhou's first tea and coffee bus welcomes passengers. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]
Rural travel also saw a boom. In the first two days of the holiday, daily visitors to the city's key rural tourism villages rose by 8.3 percent year-on-year.
To make travel more convenient and comfortable, the city upgraded seven tourist bus routes and launched its first tea and coffee bus. During the holiday, parking lots at 50 downtown buildings were opened to tourists for free. Additionally, 70 volunteer service stations were set up.
