The number of people in short trips increased dramatically Wednesday as the Spring Festival holiday from Feb. 1 to 7 entered its latter stages, according to the China National Tourism Administration.
In Tianjin, tourists from nearby Beijing, Hebei and Shandong were on the rise, drawn by historic sites and the food with special flavors.
Scenic spots in Suzhou received over 40,000 tourists Wednesday. The new highway through Suzhou, Jiaxing and Hangzhou was convenient for motorists on one-day tours.
Scenic spots in Chengdu received 478,000 tourists Wednesday, up13.1 percent compared with the same period of last year. Suburban scenic spots received the most people. So many self-drive tourists went to Mt. Qingcheng near Chengdu that the parking areas were full.
(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2003)