Emergency measures at scenic spots as tourists surge

BEIJING -- Emergency measures have been launched at some of China's popular scenic spots to cope with visitor numbers during the fourth day of the eight-day nationwide holiday.

Attractions, such as Huashan Mountain in Northwest China's Shaanxi province and Jiuzhaigou county in Sichuan province in the southwest, were swarmed with tourists. They were advised to rest in nearby schools and parking lots and wait for admission tickets.

At Huashan Mountain, no more than 800 tickets were being sold each hour. At Jiuzhaigou county, there were specified periods when tickets could be sold.

The Beijing Imperial Palace and Shanxi province's ancient town of Pingyao received five times the number of tourists than its capacity, government data showed.

A total of 119 spots have received more than 6.04 million tourists as of 5 pm on Wednesday, up 30.64 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, revenues at these spots hit 334.1 million yuan ($53 million), up 36.64 percent, government data showed.