BEIJING: Dragon Boat Festival, which in 2009 became the first Chinese holiday inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, concluded with traditional festivities that added vibrancy to popular tourist destinations.
Figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed a 6.3-percent year-on-year increase in domestic tourism during the three-day holiday period, which started on Saturday. Over 110 million tourist visits were recorded, generating about 40.4 billion yuan ($5.57 billion) in tourism revenue, an 8.1-percent rise compared with last year.
Travel agencies noted a slight decrease in overall crowds this year due to the scheduling overlap with China’s crucial college entrance examination, or gaokao, which was held from Friday to Monday.
However, destinations known for their traditional Dragon Boat Festival celebrations, particularly dragon boat races, remained popular.
“Guangdong province, renowned for its long history of dragon boat racing, saw a doubling of online searches for tour packages during the holiday,” reported travel portal Qunar.
Beyond the thrilling races, the festival is celebrated through various customs and activities, including preparing zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings), hanging mugwort for good health, and consuming medicinal liquor for blessings.
Shi Yuanyuan, a 28-year-old resident of Shenzhen, Guangdong, shared her experience. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
