Tourist numbers rise to see Tibet's peach blossoms

LHASA－An annual peach blossom festival opened recently in the city of Nyingchi, Tibet autonomous region, with the number of tourists increasing from the previous year.

This year's festival features wild peach groves, performances and a fireworks display among a series of activities, according to organizers.

Wangdu, mayor of Nyingchi, said at the opening ceremony that the festival, which has been held for 19 years, has become an important window for introducing the city to the world and a platform for promoting its opening up and economic development.

Kala village, where the opening ceremony was held, received 8,000 to 10,000 tourists daily in late March. Zhang Rundong, deputy Party chief of Nyingchi's tourism development bureau, says tourist numbers are much higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We expect the high number of tourists during the peach blossom season to continue until around April 15, as more and more tourists choose to come to Tibet for the beautiful scenery and distinctive ethnic culture," he adds.

Total tourism revenue of the city was around 4 billion yuan ($612 million) last year. The city expects tourism revenue to double this year.

Xinhua