Guizhou's petal power gears up in spring

People perform at a wedding in Danfeng county. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Tea picking, processing and tasting events also enticed tourists around Tomb Sweeping Day.

Guizhou's most popular sites include the Huangguoshu Waterfall, Libo and the ethnic Miao village of Xijiang.

Most trips to the province offered by China's biggest online travel agency, Ctrip, last roughly five days and cover all three destinations.

April excursions cost a bit north of 3,000 yuan.

As an added attraction, Guizhou offers free access to major scenic spots, and hotel and transportation discounts to visitors from Zhejiang's Ningbo, Jiangsu province's Suzhou, Shandong province's Qingdao and Liaoning province's Dalian.

Speaking of the incentives, the provincial tourism authority's deputy director, Mou Yong, says: "These are developed cities and important sources of tourists to Guizhou."

The province has also signed agreements with Suzhou's travel agencies and scenic attractions.

Suzhou Travel Service chairman Bao Zhijun says: "Guizhou's landscapes also appeal to tourists from Suzhou."

In a related development, Ningbo will train Guizhou's tourism professionals and annually award three agencies from the city that send the most visitors to Guizhou, says the Guizhou tourism authority's director, Li Yonghui.

The province may also emulate the model used at Hangzhou's West Lake, where free admission has boosted visits to the city.

"Guizhou will adopt this development mode," says Mou.