420M Chinese travelers make domestic visits during Spring Festival

High-speed trains undergo maintenance in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on Jan 18 in preparation for the 2019 Spring Festival travel rush from Jan 21 to March 1. [Photo by Lin Yuxian/For China Daily]

Nearly 420 million domestic visits were made by Chinese travelers in the newly completed Spring Festival holiday, up 7.6 percent year-on-year, according to a news release by the data center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Sunday.

The release said that revenue generated during the seven-day break reached 513.9 billion yuan ($76.2 billion), seeing a year-on-year rise of 8.2 percent.

Traveling during the Spring Festival holiday, according to the ministry, has grown into a new custom for Chinese people to celebrate Lunar New Year, among which destinations featuring traditional or modern cultures embraced most visitors.

For example, over 40 percent of travelers visited museums during the break, the release said.

Also, folk events and cultural exhibitions, such as temple fairs and lantern shows, also invigorated the holiday of residents in rural areas who used to be addicted to playing mahjong and poker card games during the holiday.

The Spring Festival break, from Feb 4 to Feb 10, is recognized as the most celebrated holiday in China.