Beijing parks see rise in visitors during Spring Festival holiday

BEIJING — Major parks in Beijing saw a visitor boom during the weeklong Spring Festival holiday, as many residents stayed put during this period to help block COVID-19 spread.

A total of 11 municipal parks recorded some 1.71 million visits during the holiday that ran from Jan 31 to Feb 6, up 5.73 percent compared with the same holiday last year, according to the Beijing Municipal Administration Center of Parks.

Taoranting Park, Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park, and the Summer Palace were the most visited destinations, receiving 258,300, 214,900 and 208,800 visitors, respectively, during the holiday.

Ice rinks and snow arenas in some of the parks gained popularity during the holiday, attracting 158,700 visitors, as the ongoing Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games ignited a passion for winter sports among the Chinese.

Falling on Feb 1 this year, the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, is a traditional holiday featuring family reunions.