Changsha garners 1.39b yuan in tourism revenue during Qingming Festival period

Changsha, Central China's Hunan province, registered a tourism boom during the three-day Tomb-sweeping Day holiday, seeing 1.93 million tourists flock to the city, a year-on-year increase of 16.53 percent, according to the Changsha tourism bureau.

The tourism industry reaped in 1.39 billion yuan ($220.5 million) of revenue for the period, up 17.13 percent compared with the same period of last year. Changsha's number of tourists and total revenue were top among all Hunan cities.

The Tomb-sweeping Day, or Qingming Festival, is a traditional festival for Chinese people to commemorate and pay respects to their deceased relatives and ancestors that has been celebrated since ancient times. It falls on April 5 this year.

Tourists enjoying their time in the Hunan Provincial Forest Botanical Garden during the Qingming Festival, which was celebrated from April 5 to 7 this year. [Photo by Zou Lin/icswb.com]

Many people chose to travel to warmer climates to enjoy the spring bloom after a long and bitter winter in most areas of China.

Peonies and azaleas in Changsha county, as well as peach and cherry blossoms in Liuyang, were all in full bloom, luring substantial number of flower lovers.

In addition to natural beauty, various outdoor activities were launched in the city's urban districts and counties, such as flying kites, offering people a wonderful time away from the hustle and bustle.

Children fly paper airplanes in Changsha Coulorful World. [Photo/icswb.com]