Xinjiang sees tourism boom during Dragon Boat Festival

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URUMQI, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region experienced a tourism boom during this year's Dragon Boat Festival, a traditional holiday in the country.

During the three-day holiday that ended on Monday, Xinjiang welcomed approximately 5.69 million tourists and raked in nearly 5.8 billion yuan (about 815 million U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue. This marked year-on-year increases of 11.3 percent and 25.88 percent respectively, according to data from the regional culture and tourism department.

The autonomous region is particularly popular for road trips, study tours, and visitors interested in exploring its rich intangible cultural heritage, said the department.

Notably, the Chinese television drama series "To the Wonder" has turned Xinjiang's Altay Prefecture into a sought-after tourist destination during the holiday, attracting 872,300 tourists.

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar which fell on Monday this year.

Covering approximately one-sixth of China's land area, Xinjiang boasts diverse and unique natural landscapes, as well as rich historical and cultural tourism resources.

In 2023, Xinjiang received a record 265 million visitors, representing a 117 percent year-on-year growth. Its tourism revenue totaled 296.7 billion yuan, up 227 percent.