A record 4.86 million tourists from China and abroad flocked to Beijing over the week long May Day holiday, 8.4 percent more than last year.

 

The Beijing Leading Group for Holiday Tourism on Monday said tourism generated 4.167 billion yuan worth of revenue, 6.2 percent more than last year.

 

Ninety-three percent of the visitors said they were satisfied with their trip to Beijing, 1 percent more than last year.

 

Experts said traditional tourist sites like the Forbidden City and the Badaling Great Wall were still the most popular attractions in Beijing.

 

A record 440,000 visitors flocked to the Forbidden City over the holiday, generating 23 million yuan in revenue from ticket sales.

 

A number of new attractions were also popular with visitors over the holidays.

 

A theme park called Beijing Happy Valley received 185,000 visitors. It generated 26 million yuan in revenue, making it the most profitable tourist destination over the May Day holiday.

 

A number of Beijing residents have changed their preferred mode of travel from organized sightseeing tours to independent travel through China's rural areas. More than 60 percent of the residents who traveled outside Beijing for the holiday drove their own cars out to the countryside to experience village life and get close to the nature.　

 

(CRIENGLISH.com May 8, 2007)