Many spend 'golden week' close to home By Hu Cong (China Daily) Updated: 2006-05-08 09:13
While millions across the country were enthusiastic to travel a long way to
see renowned historic relics and scenic spots during the week-long May Day
holiday, more and more people have opted to spend the "golden week" in a less
strenuous way.
Zhou Jijun, a middle-aged resident of Yangzhou, Jiangsu
Province, spent the holiday cooking, sleeping and meeting friends in teahouses.
He only drove out of town once with his family, and that was to enjoy the
sunshine, countryside and delicious food of a Yangtze River islet in the
suburbs.
"I'm usually very busy taking care of my business, and the
holiday is so important for me to relax and be with my wife and son," said
Zhou.
Zhou said the flood of travellers during the week-long holiday put
him off taking his family further afield. "Didn't you see the crowds in places
like the Great Wall and the Huangshan Mountain on TV? You can see nothing but a
sea of tourists' hats and banners," he said.
Wang Qiyang, director of the
Leisure Economy Research Institute of the Renmin University of China, said time
in the suburbs, playing sport and participating in cultural activities have
become more and more popular ways for Chinese to spend their
holidays.
Many urbanites are choosing to spend time off in a
not-so-far-away suburban or rural area enjoying the peace and quiet and local
food. Wang estimated there are at least 100,000 rural families offering food and
accommodation and other leisure services targeted at urbanites. The National
Tourism Administration has made rural tours a focus of the tourism industry this
year.
Most stadiums, gyms, community sporting venues and bookshops were
also full of people during the May Day holiday.
"The focus of 'golden
weeks' is shifting from travelling and sightseeing to leisure and relaxation, as
people's options become more diverse," said Wang.
But travelling and
sightseeing remains a key holiday activity.
A joint office that
co-ordinates holiday affairs under the State Council estimated that a record 120
million trips were taken in the past "golden week," and that travellers spent 40
billion yuan (US$5 billion) during the holiday. (For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates) |