Tourists visit Wuzhou Ancient Town in Jinhua during the Spring Festival holiday. [Photo/Jinhua Media Group]
Jinhua in Zhejiang province witnessed a surge in tourism during the Spring Festival holiday from Feb 15 to 23, with the city's 94 A-level scenic spots receiving about 6.32 million visits, a 22.75 percent increase year-on-year, while five provincial-level tourist resorts received about 1.25 million visits, up by 38.9 percent.
Yiwu, a sub-venue for the 2026 Spring Festival Gala, was a top travel choice, opening 10 gala-related photo points from the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, drawing crowds eager to relive Yiwu's "gala moments."
The main stage of the gala's Yiwu sub-venue, at the Global Digital Trade Center, drew 61,900 visits on its opening day, featuring spectacular performances and a light show.
Yiwu also distributed 20 million yuan ($2.90 million) in consumer vouchers for dining and accommodation discounts, launched 17 cultural and creative products and over 100 kinds of specialty items, and opened seven Spring Festival Gala pop-up stores, ensuring tourists took home unique Yiwu gifts.
Jinhua launched five themed tours and 10 travel routes from Yiwu to different districts and counties, organizing over 300 activities across scenic spots, historical streets, beautiful villages, modern commercial areas, and cultural venues, allowing visitors to experience a special Spring Festival with Jinhua flavors.
Wuzhou Ancient Town hosted traditional markets and folk performances, while Jinhua Mountain held an intangible cultural heritage festival, attracting 500,200 visits, a 47.16 percent increase.
Hengdian World Studios held the Shangyuan Lantern Show, a clown carnival, and dragon lantern cultural activities, boosting daily visitor numbers by over 60 percent. Historical streets and towns such as Poyang Ancient Street and Youbu Ancient Town were also popular tourist destinations.
