Guangdong received 38.82 million visitors during the May Day holiday, up 1.3 percent from the same period in 2019, according to the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province.
The province achieved a tourism revenue of 24.52 billion yuan (around 3.338 billion U.S. dollars), a 5.2 percent increase compared to 2019.
Tourists enjoy bubble games at the Yuexiu Fengxing Pastoral Complex Project in Guangzhou's Conghua District.
Data from the online travel platform Ctrip indicates that Guangzhou and Shenzhen ranked among the top ten popular destinations nationwide during the holiday. Guangzhou held over 1,800 cultural and tourism activities, contributing to the city's popularity. Statistics show that Guangzhou saw nearly 11.04 million tourists, with cultural and tourism consumption exceeding 10.6 billion yuan (around 1.47 billion U.S. dollars).
Yingge dance performance at the Canton Tower
Shenzhen's ports experienced a peak in inbound and outbound passenger flows. From May 1 to 5, Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection inspected 3.0828 million passengers, representing a 51.97 percent increase compared to the previous year.
This year, Guangdong specially rolled out a series of cultural and tourism activities for the May Day holiday. Museums across the province received a total of 2.85 million visitors, hosting 1,263 exhibitions and 623 activities.
Tourists watch beluga whales at the Grandview Aquarium.
Tourists visit the Grandview Museum of Natural Science.
The Bai'etan Greater Bay Area Art Center, officially opened on May 1, became a new highlight of the holiday. The center presented various exhibitions, artistic masterpieces, and precious collections for the public, along with a diverse range of cultural performances and intangible cultural heritage experiences.
Yao ethnic drum performance at the Bai'etan Greater Bay Area Art Center
More cultural activities enriched people's holidays. For example, Guangzhou Opera House staged the opera "Marco Polo" for two consecutive days, attracting approximately 3,200 attendees. Additionally, Chaozhou launched a series of holiday activities, including cultural and artistic performances, dragon and lion dances, and intangible cultural heritage bazaars.
Stage photo of opera "Marco Polo"
Furthermore, Guangdong organized promotional activities at tourist attractions. Many attractions, such as Danxia Mountain in Shaoguan and Xinghu Lake Scenic Area in Zhaoqing, offered discounted tickets. Meanwhile, Guangzhou held the "carnival season" at various scenic spots, featuring the inaugural intangible cultural heritage-themed series of events at Sunac Resort, the "Super Pet Festival" at Grandview Mall, and the Lotus-themed Tourism and Culture Festival at Baomo Garden. In total, 30 key scenic spots in Guangzhou received nearly 5.4 million tourists.
Molten iron firework show at Guangzhou Sunac Land
"Sunflower Gardening DIY" activity at the Tao Sence scenic spot
Reporter: Holly
Editor: Steven, Monica, James
Photos provided to GDToday
