With the arrival of spring, China has seen a revival of tourism in general and red tourism, the latter a reference to visiting sites of significance in the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Some 102 million domestic tourist visits were made during the Qingming Festival holiday on April 3-5. Many of these visits were to red tourism destinations, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 

Mourning the deceased and paying homage to martyrs have been traditions on the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day. This year marks the centennial of the CPC and a campaign promoting the study of Party history saw lift-off. Many revolutionary sites offer tour packages combining CPC-themed activities with sightseeing, where tourists can both learn more about the CPC's history and enjoy the beauty of nature.

The marked increase in red tourism sees its reflection in data released by online travel agency Tongcheng-eLong. Flights to red tourism destinations account for 15.6 percent of all air travels booked through the agency for the Qingming Festival holiday and the upcoming May Day holiday on May 1-5. It represents an increase of 4 percentage points from the same period in 2019. According to the agency, 57.3 percent of visitors to such destinations are aged between 20 and 39. BR

(Photos by Xinhua News Agency)

Copyedited by G. P. Wilson 

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