Visitors view peony blossoms in Yingze Park in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, on May 2. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

Taiyuan city, capital of North China's Shanxi province, ranked first among cities in the province in terms of doing business in catering, accommodation, travelling, shopping and entertainment during the recent May Day holiday from May 1 to 5.

Over the five-day break, the major scenic areas and parks in Taiyuan received 3.47 million visits, a year-on-year increase of 103.72 percent, generating 12.15 million yuan ($1.88 million) in total ticket revenue, up 491.32 percent.

While keeping on the alert for the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiyuan organized 277 mass cultural activities, 62 cultural activities in scenic spots and 31 free opera shows in the countryside -- celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China during the holiday. 

Some 100 intangible cultural heritage exhibitions and demonstrations, as well as cultural and creative product fairs, were held at major tourist spots in the city. 

Visitors tour the Taiyuan Ancient County seat of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) during the May Day holiday. [Photo/sxgov.cn]

The Taiyuan Ancient County of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) -- vital relics of Jinyang culture with high value in history, culture and tourism development facility -- was officially opened to the public on May 1, after some eight years of restoration. It received 174,600 visits during the five-day holiday, generating revenue of 4.32 million yuan. 

Another scenic site opening on the day -- the Fenhe Riverside Bicycle Lane -- also attracted a large number of cycling enthusiasts and tourists from outside Taiyuan, contributing a great deal to the holiday tourism boom. Over the five days, the entire Fenhe River scenic area in the city received about 1.1 million visits and cyclists had over 300,000 rides.   

The Fenhe Riverside Bicycle Lane in Taiyuan is open to the public on May 1. The bicycle lane is set along the east and west sides of the Fenhe River, with a width of 5 meters and a green belt of 2 meters on either side. It is expected to meet the commuting needs of locals and relieve traffic congestion on the Binhe East and West roads. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

The boom in culture and tourism during the May Day holiday was widely seen as a payoff of Taiyuan's increasing efforts in recent years in promoting the sector. 

The city has accurately analyzed target markets, strengthened its online promotions and marketing, as well as expanded exchanges and cooperation with key tourist source regions. It has also undertaken tourism promotions in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions. 

It has launched one-day, two-day, three-day tour routes around the city -- recommending flower-viewing routes, study tours and courses themed on historical sites with a revolutionary legacy to visitors and has held large festivals.

In particular, the Taiyuan bureau of culture and tourism launched 30 high-quality travel routes -- which attracted over 790,000 views on a popular social media platform during the May Day holiday. 

In addition to boosting cultural and tourism consumption, the local authorities raised a special fund, stimulating people to spend some 3.15 million yuan in the cultural, tourism and sports sectors.