Photo: Xinhua
Photo: Xinhua
Crowds flocked to tourist spots in China, such as the Great Wall and the Bund in Shanghai, since the start of the week-long National Day holiday on Tuesday, which also strained the transport system, especially highways.
The golden week is a time when Chinese people travel around, and this year's fine weather and waived highway toll provided an added incentive.
On Wednesday, the Badaling Great Wall sold out its 65,000 tickets for the day as early as 9:38am, said the attraction's Sina Weibo account. Visitors who successfully booked a ticket found themselves stuck on the wall among the huge crowds, according to viral video clips and photos they took and uploaded on social media.
The Bund deployed extra police to maintain order when the open area welcomed a large number of tourists from around China. A light show designed for the National Day holiday is being presented every night until Sunday.
The West Lake in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province received about 650,000 visitors as of Wednesday afternoon, with photos showing people filling up the area.
The travelers also put great pressure on the transport system. Train tickets to popular destinations like Beijing and Shanghai and cities close to popular scenic spots such as Mount Taishan, a world heritage in East China's Shandong Province, were difficult to get.
Toll for cars was waived during the golden week, but those who traveled by land soon realized that the highway had become a huge parking lot, and some highway entrances were closed as a temporary measure to control the traffic, media reported.
People also traveled abroad, with Japan and Southeast Asian countries like Thailand believed to be the hot destinations.
Not everyone chose to travel. Many stayed at home or met friends.
Wang Yitong from Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality told the Global Times that she had persuaded two of her college friends not to come visit her during the golden week. "I told them the experience would be a nightmare and we would not be able to get a table at the best hot pot restaurant in the city," Wang said.
A viral Weibo post reads, "I am at a spot that is cool with stable WiFi connection and all sorts of food and drinks; it's free and not crowded at all - my couch in the living room."
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