Tourists visit the Red Beach National Scenic Corridor in Panjin, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, on October 3, 2025. Photos on this page: VCG

As China celebrated the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays in 2025, a vibrant wave of travel swept across the country. From red tourism landmarks to immersive cultural shows and high-tech experiences, people embraced the joy of reunion while exploring the country's diverse landscapes and traditions. 

This year, National Day coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival, creating a "double holiday." China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism released data on Thursday showing that the cultural and tourism market across the country remained generally stable and orderly during the holidays. 

Calculations show that over the eight-day holidays, there were 888 million domestic trips made nationwide, 123 million more than the seven-day National Day holidays in 2024. Total domestic tourism spending reached 809.006 billion yuan ($111 billion), an increase of 108.189 billion yuan year-on-year, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 

Events themed around harvest and the Mid-Autumn Festival were well received. For instance, Changbai Mountains in Northeast China's Jilin Province launched a "slow trek to enjoy autumn" route, while the Hubei Provincial Museum in Central China's Hubei Province and the Shenyang Palace Museum in Northeast China's Liaoning Province held special nighttime events during the festival, the People's Daily reported.

Intangible cultural heritage and technology have brought new vitality to the integration of culture and tourism. For instance, the fire-spitting traditions of Longmen Ancient Street in Luoyang, Central China's Henan Province, attracted large crowds. Beijing hosted the ninth China Opera Culture Week, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism introduced.

To enhance visitor experiences, many regions launched convenience measures. The "joint ticket for tourist attractions" in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region promoted the sharing of cultural and tourism resources. 

Scenic areas such as Laojun Mountain in Henan Province and Sitou Township in North China's Shanxi Province offered affordable dining options. The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu Province, introduced a new-generation digital guide system. 

Smart management technologies such as online reservations and congestion alerts were adopted at the West Lake in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, and the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Southwest China's Guizhou Province to improve service efficiency.

Amid the travel boom, some popular routes saw tickets in short supply. Han, a traveler working in Beijing, said that while high-speed trains from Beijing to Jinan, capital city of East China's Shandong Province, normally run every 10 minutes, tickets were hard to get during the holidays. The combination of return-peak travel and rainfall even caused congestion around the station. 

"Luckily, I caught the train in the end, which perfectly wrapped up my holiday," Han said.

According to the People's Daily Online, Dai Bin, head of the China Tourism Academy, said that travelers not only celebrated red culture and appreciated peace and prosperity, but also experienced the fusion of traditional culture and modern lifestyles during their trips. "Diverse, personalized and high-quality tourism experiences have turned more urban and rural spaces into new tourist attractions, expanding the boundaries of the tourism industry," Dai said.

Tourists watch seagulls at Xinghai Bay in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, on October 7, 2025.

 

A guide shares stories about the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign with visitors in the exhibition hall of the battle in Wuhu, East China's Anhui Province, on October 7, 2025.

Tourists pose for a group photo at the Zunyi Conference site in Zunyi, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, on October 8, 2025.

Tourists explore the Confucius Temple scenic area in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, on October 2, 2025.

Children compete in a race to climb the Great Wall at the Badaling section, as the scenic spot bustles with visitors during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays in Beijing on October 2, 2025.