Sanya /China/, February 16. /TASS/. More than 700 thousand people visited the sights of the resort city of Sanya in the southern Chinese province of Hainan in three days of the Lunar New Year holidays (with the New Year falling on the night of February 10), the city government announced in a statement.
According to the document, on the eve of the Lunar New Year (or the Festival of Spring also known as Chunjie), residents and guests of the resort city visited attractions and scenic spots. From February 9 to 11, there were more than 700 thousand people, including locals, as well as Chinese and foreign tourists.
Many vacationers visited the city's cTianya Haijiao (The edges of heaven, corners of the sea) coastal park, which hosted themed events. On February 10, the first day of the new lunar year, people went up to the mountains and visited Luhuitou Park (Deer turning its head,) and Fenghuangling Nature Park (Phoenix Mountain). Since the coming year of the lunar calendar is under the patronage of the Green Wood Dragon, residents and guests of the city went on a "dragon tour" - they visited the resort's attractions that have the character "dragon" in their names.
Another place of attraction for tourists was the Haichang Ocean Park, also known as Fantasy City. It features the Eye of Sanya Ferris wheel, which is 88 meters high. Before the New Year, the park's administration has updated the attraction's illumination; daily light shows dedicated to the Year of the Dragon are held there during the holidays. A series of themed New Year events are also organized in the park itself, which attract tourists.
The city is also hosting various cultural events, exhibitions and sports competitions during the holidays. According to a government statement, the New Year holidays are a golden time for tourist consumption. Holding various events in a safe manner will focus on the needs of tourists, as well as promote the quality of tourism services and the development of the tourism industry as a whole, the statement said.
The Year of the Green Wood Dragon began on the night of February 10 and will end on January 28, 2025. Mainland China's holidays will last from February 10 to 17.
Hainan's tourism industry
By 2025, the Hainan authorities have set the goal of turning the province into an "international center for tourism and consumption." The Chinese island is often referred to as the "Eastern Hawaii" - natural landscapes, tropical forests, a developed hotel chain in combination with beaches and a coastline stretching along more than 1,900 kilometers attract guests from the most distant parts of the world.
By the end of 2023, more than 90 million Chinese and foreign tourists visited the southern Chinese province of Hainan, which is 49.9% more than in 2022. The region's revenue from the tourism industry amounted to about 181.3 billion yuan (about $25.5 billion), up 71.9% year-on-year.