People pray for fortune on the day of the God of Wealth, on January 28, 2023 in Quanzhou, East China's Fujian Province. Photo: Li Hao/Global Times
Museums, theaters, temple fairs… Almost each cultural cluster has seen strong hustle and bustle of festivity during the Chinese New Year holidays. Chinese cultural researchers said the tourism boom in the first Spring Festival holidays since China optimized its COVID-19 response shows China's strong economic growth and Chinese people's great blessing to usher in the Year of the Rabbit.
According to a report that China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued on Friday night, domestic tourist trips over the Chinese New Year holidays in 2023 reached 308 million, a year-on-year increase of 23.1 percent, reaching 88.6 percent of the same period in 2019 before the pandemic; domestic tourism revenue was 375.84 billion yuan ($55.4 billion), a year-on-year increase of 30 percent, reaching 73.1 percent of the same period in 2019.
Cultural authorities have launched an abundant supply of cultural and tourism products, such as shows, exhibitions, lantern fairs, the Spring Festival Gala in Chinese villages, and the like. A total of 10,739 A-level tourist attractions are open to the public, accounting for 73.5 percent of the total number of A-level tourist attractions in the country.
Tourists enjoy lanterns in celebration of the Spring Festival on January 27, 2023 in Yuncheng, North China's Shanxi Province. Photo: VCG
According to incomplete statistics, about 110,000 mass cultural activities were held across the country, with about 473 million participants; more than 9,400 commercial performances nationwide were also held during the holidays, a year-on-year increase of 40.92 percent.
Sanya, South China's Hainan Province launched special tourism products and routes including yacht tourism, low-altitude tourism experienced by taking hot air balloons and helicopters, and rural tourism. Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province held the Second Heilongjiang Ice and Snow Intangible Cultural Heritage Week with a great variety of ice and snow activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year. 
Shanghai residents watch a movie in a cinema on January 23, 2023. Photo: IC
Many cities stimulated the vitality of nighttime consumption by launching activities with the characteristics of "a city that never sleeps." The report shows that 243 national-level nighttime cultural and tourism consumption clusters had a tourist flow of 52.122 million, with an average of 30,600 tourists per night in each cluster.
Many regions have introduced policies and measures to benefit the people, such as discounting tickets for scenic spots, and issuing cultural and tourism consumption coupons. For instance, a total of 52 A-level tourist attractions in Luoyang, Henan Province, have launched ticket-free activities.
Tourists enjoy a lantern show in celebration of the Chinese New Year on January 22, 2023 in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. Photo: VCG
Zheng Changling, secretary-general of the China Folk Culture Innovation and Development Center and research fellow at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, told the Global Times on Saturday that the massive growth in Chinese tourism shows Chinese people's increased interest in spiritual pursuits, especially in the first long holiday after the three-year epidemic.
"The COVID-19 epidemic has changed people's value to life - we treasure the value of family union more during our traditional festival. Also, everyone wants to get some good luck from the various cultural activities and move for a new fresh start," said Zheng, adding that the revitalization of cultural life shows China's positive economic growth in 2023.
Residents enjoy a lion dance performance in celebration of the Chinese New Year on January 27, 2023 in Zhanjiang, South China's Guangdong Province. Photo: VCG
People have fun on the ice over the Chinese New Year holidays on January 26, 2023 in Beijing. Photo: VCG
