Xi'an witnesses tourism boom over Spring Festival holiday

The Xi'an branch venue of this year's Spring Festival TV gala combined tradition and modernity, presenting a millennium-spanning poetic duet to the audience, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the unique Lunar New Year atmosphere of the ancient city of Xi'an.

On Feb 17, Chinese online travel agency Ctrip released the 2024 Year of the Dragon Spring Festival Travel Report, which revealed a 64-percent year-on-year increase in tourism bookings to Xi'an during the Spring Festival holiday.

New Year lantern shows, dragon dance performances, temple fairs, and intangible cultural heritage activities have become popular choices for tourists during the Spring Festival.

On the Ctrip platform, searches for lantern shows doubled, with high interest in events such as the Tang Palace Lantern Show and the Kunming Lake Ancient-style Lantern Festival.

At a hanfu-themed store near the Bell Tower in Xi'an, visitors selected traditional clothing and styled themselves, preparing for a time-traveling journey.

An owner of a hanfu store mentioned that the response to the Xi'an branch venue of this year's Spring Festival TV gala was enthusiastic, with many out-of-town visitors coming to Xi'an after watching the gala. The store has over 2,000 sets of hanfu, and its rental rate soared during the Spring Festival, with over 200 visitors served daily.

Over the holiday, popular attractions in Xi'an included the Emperor Qinshihuang Mausoleum Site Museum, Huaqing Palace, Daming Palace National Heritage Park, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, and Tang Paradise.