More than 10 million Chinese people stayed in hotels to observe the Spring Festival this year, a substantial increase on last year.

For years, Chinese people have returned from all corners of the country for family reunions during the festival to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year. But as the nation marches towards modernization, the old ways are changing.

The frosty temperatures that typically accompany Spring Festival don't seem conducive to lengthy journeys, and yet China witnessed 44.96 million domestic travellers between January 24-30 during the long holiday.

According to the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), the tourism income during the Spring Festival reached 19.8 billion yuan (US$2.3 billion), a sizable jump over 55 million yuan (US$6.6 million) recorded during the last National Day holiday starting on October 1.

With more disposable income, Chinese people are favouring tourist sites for their holiday merrymaking and organized excursions and long hotel stays are gaining in popularity.

Some tourists opted for the icy whiteness of North China, while others enjoyed the beautiful sunshine on South China's coasts.

Many hotels in tourist hotspots were booked far in advance of the festival.

The first Spring Festival of the new century comes at a turning point between the Ninth (1996-2000) and 10th Five Year Plan periods (2001-05). The country's gross domestic product last year hit US$1,000 billion, with the per capita level reaching US$800. Living standards have also been improving year by year.

Chinese people are paying more attention to their quality of life and feel more comfortable spending money on luxuries such as hotel visits. Many families have moved into new apartments as a result of the housing reform last year.

Better service quality and improved infrastructure have also relieved tourists' worries, according to an official from the CNTA.

(Xinhua 02/06/2001)