Based on the data of Shanxi's provincial tourism bureau, during the 3-day Tomb-sweeping holiday, from April 5 to 7, Shanxi received 3.61 million tourists from both home and abroad, receiving a total income from tourists of 1.88 billion yuan ($2.9 billion), a year-on-year increase of 20.16 percent.
Dozens of scenic spots covered in flowers became the first choice of tourists. In the meantime, the Shanxi tourism bureau has launched 27 spring traveling routes, among which Mount Wutai, the Yungang Grottoes, the Old Town of Pingyao, the Mansion of the Qiao Family, Mianshan Mountain in Jiexiu and Huangcheng Premier's mansion, are still the main attractions for tourists, accounting for 50% of the reception capacity of key tourist sites. The "Hanshi and Qingming Jiegong Worship Ceremony" in Manshan Moutain in Jiexiu, focusing on expressing the cultural connotations of the Tomb-sweeping Day, which is the time for people to remember their ancestors, attracted a large number of tourists hiking to worship there.
According to statistics, 90% of the tourists are self-driving travelers from surrounding areas. Among the most popular tourism products, the tour route for sacrifices, picking fruits or vegetables, spring country walks,family trips and park recreation were the most popular pastimes. Some new tourist sites attracted many young travelers, such as the ecological garden and the peach blossom valley in Taiyuan, as well as the bamboo lake in Yushe County.
Edited by Zhou Yuanyuan and Brian Salter
