During the just-concluded May Day holiday, many places across Hunan Province saw a surge of overseas tourists, reflecting a robust holiday economy. In folk theaters, Chinese and foreign tourists joined hands on stage, interacting with each other with great enthusiasm. At hot scenic spots, groups of young volunteers proficient in foreign languages provided translation and guidance services for international visitors. 

A cloud concert at the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Scenic Area. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
  

Amid clouds and mist, the melodious sound of piano music rang out on the glass bridge at the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Scenic Area. A cloud concert was held there, where Chinese and foreign pianists performed classic pieces together. Also performing were representative inheritors of traditional Sangzhi folk songs, who belted out high-pitched tunes, drawing tourists into clapping along spontaneously.

"From May 1 to 3 this year, the number of overseas tourists visiting our scenic area increased by 25.98% year on year," said Luo Kewen, spokesperson from the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Scenic Area. "By hosting a series of special cultural and tourism events, the scenic area allows visitors to deeply experience the charm of diverse cultures in Zhangjiajie while enjoying the natural wonders."

Data demonstrates popularity, while services convey warmth. At the square of the Wujiayu Ticket Station in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, a group of young volunteers handed out scenic area maps to foreign tourists and explained tour routes in multiple languages.

On May 2, young volunteers explain tour routes to foreign tourists at the square of the Wujiayu Ticket Station in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

Night lights lit up a different scene. 

Zhangjiajie's Wulingyuan District was brimming with the vitality of the night economy. Dazzling lights shone brightly along the Suoxi River, where the Peak Forest Music Season Carnival was in full swing. The Suoxi Cultural Tourism Park was bustling with people, where photographers from travel photo service shops were communicating with foreign tourists in fluent foreign languages.
 
The folk cultural performers of "Charming Xiangxi" put on three shows every evening. In the theater, folk songs and dances, breathtaking acrobatics, and folk dramas took turns on stage, with subtitles in Chinese, English, and Korean projected simultaneously on both sides of the stage. When the host invited the audience to join in, many foreign tourists raised their hands and rushed to the stage one after another.

"Enjoying the mountains by day and watching performances by night, the Zhangjiajie tour is very fulfilling and delightful," a Russian tourist said.

In Changsha, tourists took photos on Orange Isle, visited the duty free shops in the downtown commercial area, and experienced an innovative tour of China's food industry at the "Kingdom of Snacks." These new scenarios integrated commodity consumption with business models and experiential elements, providing fresh options for many overseas tourists.

A foreign tourist enjoys performing the folk art Daliuzi, a traditional dance of the Tujia people, at Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. (Photo/Wu Yongbing, Xinhua)

Data from the Hunan General Station of Immigration Inspection shows that, during the first three days of the holiday, Hunan's ports handled over 15,000 inbound and outbound trips, a year-on-year increase of 3.38%. 95% of the inbound trips through the Zhangjiajie port were made by foreign nationals. To cope with the peak travel flow, the Hunan General Station of Immigration Inspection took measures such as adding inspection channels during peak hours to ensure smooth customs clearance at the ports.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: Xinhua