Huangshan city – located in East China's Anhui province – experienced surging growth in tourism in the first 10 months of the year.
From January to October, the city welcomed 75.01 million tourists, representing a whopping 59.52 percent increase compared with the same period last year and a hefty 10.73 percent gain over the 2019 number.
Additionally, the city's total tourism revenue hit a record 66.38 billion yuan ($9.13 billion) in the latest period, up 59.21 percent on last year and 9.21 percent compared with 2019.
Breathtaking sunrises like this one on Huangshan Mountain ensure that the tourists keep coming back for more. [Photo/article.xuexi.cn]
The achievements were said to be the result of significant efforts made by Huangshan in recent years.
For instance, the city designated every Wednesday as Huangshan City Scenic Area Free Admission Day – offering free entry to all A to 5A level tourist attractions, to draw visitors from all over the world.
Additionally, the distribution of culture and tourism spending vouchers has bolstered the enthusiasm for tourists to travel there.
Moreover, the city has pursued a special "Huangshan model" to promote rural vitalization through rural tourism development.
It's now home to various themed villages, including a Photography Village, a Cultural and Creative Village and an Intangible Cultural Heritage Village.
These offer a diverse range of entertainment options, such as mountain bike competitions, grassland music festivals, intangible cultural heritage performances, self-driving camping and culinary experiences – all designed to cater to the diverse and individual needs of tourists.
Most notably, Huangshan has undertaken steps to improve its accessibility and convenience for visitors. A significant milestone in this effort was the full-line trial run of the Nanchang-Jingdezhen-Huangshan High-Speed Railway on Oct 26.
The railway is widely expected to provide a fast track to the city and create a world-class golden tourism route that spans Anhui and East China's Jiangxi province.