Fujian receives nearly 31 million visits during May Day break

During the May Day holiday, Xunpu village in Quanzhou plays host to a large number of visitors. [Photo by Chen Gengjia/qzwb.com]

During the recent May Day holiday, East China's Fujian province hosted over 1,100 cultural and tourism consumption events – showcasing a diverse array of cultural and artistic activities such as lively performances, impressive exhibitions, as well as great intangible heritage experiences and literary promotions.

Based on third-party calculation, Fujian received nearly 31 million visits during the holiday, marking a 14.1 percent increase from the previous year.

In aggregate, tourists shelled out a total 24.66 billion yuan ($3.41 billion), reflecting year-on-year growth of 15.2 percent. In all, the province implemented 170 promotional policies during the holiday period, with 86 A-level tourist attractions offering discount or free entry, resulting in a surge in tourism spending.

In particular, key tourist sites experienced a hefty rise in popularity. Fujian's 12 5A-level attractions received almost 2.2 million visits during the holiday, a whopping 20.21 percent increase on the previous year.

Overall, cultural and tourism consumption has shifted from just sightseeing to special and immersive cultural experiences. For instance, the Cultural Performances on Weekends featured over 370 shows and attracted more than 640,000 attendees during the holiday.

What's more, the trend to so-called "reverse tourism" continued to grow, with county-level and rural destinations gaining favor among holidaymakers seeking a slower pace of life.

Locations like Pingtan and Jinjiang, as well as rural spots such as Shaxian county's Culinary Culture City and Taining county's Big Golden Lake, witnessed a significant uptick in visitor numbers.

Fujian's cultural and tourism landscape is evolving with new and exciting formats. In Fuzhou, visitors can explore the "Century-old prosperity of Shangxiang historic and cultural block" theme real-life deduction.

That's while Quanzhou city showcases traditional folk art performances such as the Song Jiang Battle Array, a form of the performing arts that combines elements of kung fu, dance and drumming.

Elsewhere, innovative projects like the naked-eye 3D show at Yongding Tulou in Longyan city enhance the appeal of nighttime cultural tourism.