Tourists opt for shorter trips during National Day holiday

During this year's weeklong National Day holiday, which started on Oct 1, Chinese tourists displayed a marked preference for short-haul travel and driving tours, data from online travel service platforms showed.

Search queries about "short-distance trips" surged by more than 250 percent year-on-year in 2021, according to Chinese travel service and social networking platform Mafengwo.

Data from another online travel platform, Ctrip, show Beijing topped domestic tourist destinations during the holiday, followed by Shanghai and Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province.

Landmark theme parks－Universal Beijing Resort and Shanghai Disney Resort－are calling cards of the top two megacities, spurring the inflow of tourists.

A staycation at a hotel has remained a popular holidaying approach, where tourists enjoy the relaxation and entertainment facilities and services at the hotel. Some hotels are situated within or nearby scenic sites so provide easy access for their guests.

Mafengwo added that homestays, camping and hot springs were popular among those who spent their holidays on the road.

The number of searches for "camping" tripled before the start of the holiday, it said.

Due to COVID-19 prevention measures, driving tours with friends or family members were popular among many, according to Lvmama, an online travel agency.

Another online travel agency, Tuniu, said small travel groups with six or fewer people accounted for about half of all bookings they received for this holiday, highlighting the market's greater demand for high-quality services and experiences.

Cultural touch

In addition to tours, cultural activities were common items to check on the holiday to-do list.

With a sense of patriotism strong throughout the holiday, many people opted for cultural activities with patriotic themes.

At cinemas, two patriotic films dominated the holiday box office. As of Monday evening, My Country, My Parents, which pays homage to those who have contributed to the country's revolution and development, had raked in 716 million yuan ($110.65 million) in just five days. The Battle at Lake Changjin, which focuses on a decisive battle during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), had its total box office amount to some 2 billion yuan during the same period.

Many viewers were touched by the sentiments shared by the two films: the spirit and courage of individuals dedicating themselves to the great causes of their times.

"Each and every Chinese person is like a book that records his or her own experience of struggle," said Qi Yihan, a college student who watched My Country, My Parents.

While some sought to express their national pride through cultural activities, others chose to show their appreciation for traditional Chinese culture.

At the beginning of the holiday, all tickets to an exhibition held at Beijing's Palace Museum had already been fully booked.

Titled Beyond the Bounds of History: A Collaborative Exhibition between the Palace Museum and Dunhuang Academy, the exhibition features 188 cultural relics of Dunhuang culture, which originates from Northwest China's Gansu province. It also showcases the history of and achievements in preservation and inheritance work.

"I'm deeply impressed by the extensiveness of Chinese culture, as well as how traditional culture remains alive with the assistance of modern technology," said Zhang Ran, a college student who visited the exhibition.

Similar activities highlighting traditional culture were held across the country.

From the Chinese Opera Culture Week held at Beijing Garden Expo Park to activities showcasing intangible cultural heritage in Gansu and Henan provinces, tourists had many destinations to choose if they felt like getting in touch with traditional culture during the holiday.

China Daily - Xinhua