Water-splashing festival in Yunnan boosts local tourism

A grand water-splashing festival in Southwest China's Yunnan province has attracted tens of thousands of people to take part in the event, further boosting local tourism.

The water-splashing festival is regarded as an important part of the New Year celebrations of the Dai ethnic group. People splash water on one another during the festival to wash away all the bad luck from the previous year and begin a new year of happiness and good fortune.

Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture, Lincang city, and Pu'er city are key areas in the province that have witnessed the splendor of the festival.

In Xishuangbanna, local Dai people clad in traditional costumes, danced and sang while splashing water on each other as a way to pray for good fortune and express good wishes.

The festival has attracted a large number of tourists to visit Xishuangbanna.

According to preliminary statistics, the prefecture received more than 2 million tourists during the festival this year, with a total tourism revenue of around 2.12 billion yuan.

The water-splashing festival has also fueled the recovery of the tourism industry in the Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture, Lincang city, and Pu'er city.

As one of the top tourist destinations in China, Yunnan has witnessed a continued rebound in tourism thanks to a strong comeback of the country's tourism.

Official data shows that Yunnan recorded 45.15 million tourist visits during this year's Spring Festival holiday, up 244.7 percent year on year. Tourism revenue during the holiday hit 38.44 billion yuan, up 249.4 percent year on year.

New vitality has been injected in Yunnan tourism sector after China lifted more travel restrictions: On April 7, the Hekou Port on the China-Vietnam border in Yunnan welcomed its first Vietnamese tour group; on April 8, Yunnan welcomed its first Thai tour group; on April 13 the China-Laos Railway started cross-border passenger services from Kunming to Vientiane.