Tai'an embraces tourism boom during Qingming Festival
Tai'an, East China's Shandong province saw a boom in tourism during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday from April 3 to 5.
According to statistics from the Tai'an municipal culture and tourism bureau, the city's 13 scenic spots and six rural attractions welcomed a total of 402,979 tourists, generating revenue of 19.57 million yuan ($2.98 million).
Tomb Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday during which people pay tribute to their deceased family members, worship ancestors and go on spring outings.
Two to three-day short distance trips were the travel style of choice among tourists. Many chose to relax at boutique homestays while learning about tea art, flower arrangements and handicrafts.
"Red tourism" has become popular among tourists as this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Party in China. Some classic red tourism attractions such as Tai'an Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery and Culai Mountain saw a significant rise in the number of tourists. Red tourism refers to tourism at sites important to China's revolutionary history.
The Mount Tai Scenic Area, Taishan Tourism Group and Daiyue Business Exhibition Company held a series of folk cultural activities from April 1 to 5. The event gathered more than 30 children's amusement facility companies, 90 tourism products businesses, and 50 traditional local delicacies, which attracted more than 2,000 visitors.
Local authorities also carried out measures to make travelling in Tai'an more convenient and comfortable, such as opening for free the parking lot of the Tai'an administrative service center, providing tourist information services, and opening the temporary bus lines to the Mount Tai Scenic Area.