A total of 66.13 million tourists visited attractions in Shandong province during the weeklong National Day holiday, up 12.9 percent compared with the same period last year, according to local media reports.

Tourism revenue reached about 53.55 billion yuan ($7.74 billion), a year-on-year increase of 12.9 percent.

Nearly 286 State-level attractions in Shandong province offered free entry, while 162 offered reduced ticket prices.

Popular tourist cities in Shandong such as Yantai, Jinan and Qingdao organized special activities to attract more visitors.

Meanwhile, due to this year's National Day holiday being close to China's first Farmers' Harvest Festival, which fell on Sept 21, diverse rural tourism activities and countryside homestays were also popular with tourists.

Furthermore, travelers made visits to attractions highlighting cultural events and activities during the holiday.

Nishan in Qufu, Shandong province, the venue for the 2018 Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, sponsored by China's state television broadcaster CCTV, received 5.816 million visitors.

The government stepped up its related services and security throughout the holiday to ensure that everyone enjoyed a safe and pleasant environment during their stay in Shandong.

Kuanhouli Street, a popular scenic spot in Jinan, capital of Shandong province sees large crowds of visitors during the weeklong National Day holiday. [Photo/iqilu.com]

Many special performances are organized to entertain visitors at the Taierzhuang ancient town in Zaozhuang, Shandong province over the weeklong National Day holiday. [Photo/tezgc.com]