A sea of gold at Chenshan Botanic Garden during the holiday.
Shanghai recorded 18.6225 million visits by tourists during the seven-day National Day holiday, with total tourism consumption showing an increase of 4.6 percent, the city's cultural and tourism authorities announced on Monday.
The number of travelers was on par with the previous year, while the average occupancy rate of local hotel rooms reached 59 percent, an increase of 7 percentage points year on year, according to the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism.
The total tourism consumption transactions in Shanghai, covering catering, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment sectors, was 26.919 billion yuan (US$3.8 billion), a year-on-year increase of 4.6 percent.
The city's holiday market supply was highlighted by the 35th Shanghai Tourism Festival, and more than a hundred holiday cultural and tourism products and activities were launched with 142 high-quality cultural and tourism routes released to meet demand, according to the administration.
Fireworks ignite the holiday market at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park.
The integration of culture, commerce, tourism, and sports activated new momentum for holiday consumption, and immersive cultural and tourism experiences such as "Eternal Notre-Dame," a virtual reality journey through time and space, and "The Infinite" proved popular with travelers from home and abroad during the holiday.
Classic activities of the tourism festival such as the "Half Marathon Suzhou Creek" Culture and Tourism Festival, the 29th Shanghai International Tea Culture Tourism Festival, the "Most Jiangnan (southern part of the lower reaches of Yangtze River)" 2024 Qingpu Culture and Tourism Festival, and the 11th Fuxing Art Festival attracted citizens and tourists to visit the city's landmark attractions, business circles and cultural venues to celebrate the holiday.
From the "Automobile Consumption Carnival" to "Chill Holiday" promotion activities, major business circles across the city launched several hundred cultural, commercial, tourism, and sports activities during the holiday.
Meanwhile, the diverse cultural and artistic exhibitions led to the new trend of holiday travel, with "appreciating cultural and art exhibitions, enjoying concerts, and watching dramas" a quality option and a shining business card for Shanghai's urban cultural and tourism market, the administration said.
A boy enjoys the fun of bamboo plaiting in Liantang Town.
Among these, "The Great Art of Dunhuang" at the China Art Museum and "On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt" exhibition at the Shanghai Museum further fueled the local cultural and tourism market, it said.
Traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage generated new content in the collision with new business forms and trends, unlocking a completely new way of tourism, according to the administration.
Ancient towns in the city integrated folk culture and specialty cuisine with unique regional characteristics into the Jiangnan water town style, hosting a series of holiday cultural and tourism activities with a strong cultural atmosphere.
The "micro-holiday" tourism experience in the city's suburbs became a popular choice during the golden week, and rural homestays were particularly popular among local residents, with an average holiday occupancy rate of nearly 50 percent. It was difficult to secure a room in the boutique rural homestays around the Shanghai Disney Resort in the Pudong New Area during the holiday.
A float parade at Shanghai Happy Valley during the holiday.
Night culture grew during the holiday, with a rising number of residents and tourists willing travel and consume at night, the administration said.
A spectacular feast was presented during the Shanghai International Light Festival, with 119 night check-in points in the city established, involving more than 900 business, tourism, culture, sports, and exhibition venues, with more than 1,100 major buildings in Shanghai lit up.
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park ignited a beautiful festival atmosphere with large-scale fireworks and light performances.
Twenty-five floats paraded during the tourism festival and were on display on the main streets of the city, while cruise ships on Suzhou Creek were turned into livehouses, with dozens of musicians giving tourists a pleasant and melodious journey on the water.
A dreamlike light show is presented in the West Bund area.
A sugar figurine booth at Life Hub@Anting attracts many children during the holiday.
A giant light installation is placed at the riverfront area in Yangpu District during the holiday.
A couple poses for a wedding photo at Chenshan Botanic Garden during the holiday.
Yangpu District's riverfront area is lit up during the holiday.
A book bazaar at Life Hub@Anting is popular.
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park is crowded during the holiday.
