Xiangyang city prepared various tours and activities during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Sept 19 to 21, and the authorities are also making preparations for the National Day holiday from Oct 1 to 7, in a bid to create a festival atmosphere with local characteristics, hubeitour.gov.cn reported.

Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy red tea andpingshu(meaning "storytelling", which refers to one of the forms of entertainment in north China) at the Xiangyang Palace, taste mooncakes and drink tea at Furen town, or enjoy traditional Chinese calligraphy and music at the Migong Temple.

Xinshenyun Hanjiang Cruise Ship Company is offering a discount on the tickets of its standard cruises, which is 28 yuan ($4.6) per person. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, visitors who were born on Sept 21 had the opportunity to enjoy a free night trip on the Hanjiang River.

On Sept 19, 100 free Xiangyang city bus tour tickets were given away, and the city's travel agencies also offered new tour routes in the city center as well as the suburban areas.

In addition, the winning designs of the seventh Xiangyang Tourism Products Design Competition have been on display since the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Edited by Niva Whyman and Le Qin