BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- In Liba Village, about 1.5 hours' drive from downtown Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province, dozens of steaming hot pot tables dotted the fields, where tourists dined amid a golden sea of yellow blossoms, soaking in the vibrant colors and fragrant spring air.

"Eating hot pot in such a picturesque setting instantly lifted my mood and left me completely relaxed. Savoring spring with a hot pot feast surrounded by flowers was truly unforgettable," posted a blogger with the username Doufugui on "RedNote" or Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media platform.

The blogger is one of millions of Chinese who took advantage of the recent Qingming Festival holiday to revel in the joys of spring. With warmer weather and flowers in full bloom, the holiday sparked a wave of enthusiasm for domestic travel across the country.

During the three-day holiday, China recorded 126 million domestic trips, a 6.3 percent increase from the previous year, according to data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Monday. Tourism revenue also rose, reaching 57.55 billion yuan (about 8 billion U.S. dollars), marking a 6.7 percent year-on-year increase.

Data from online travel platforms showed that searches related to flower viewing during the holiday surged by 2.2 times compared to the same period last year, while searches for camping on the e-commerce platform Meituan skyrocketed by 132 percent.

Chinese train travel, meanwhile, shattered records as more people opted for outdoor getaways. On April 4 alone, China's railway operator handled 20.09 million passenger trips, the highest single-day figure so far this year.

The holiday also saw a rise in outbound travel, with many Chinese extending their time off by combining the break with annual leave or weekends.

According to Tongcheng Travel, hotel bookings on the platform surged during the holiday period, with Japan seeing a 120 percent year-on-year increase in reservations. European destinations like Spain and Britain experienced an even greater spike, with bookings rising by over 300 percent.

Experts have noted that this year's Qingming holiday underscores the immense potential in China's service consumption sector, a key driver of the country's economic growth.

"The Qingming holiday has traditionally not been a peak travel season, but the tourism market was notably more vibrant this year," said Xiao Peng, a researcher at Qunar's Big Data Research Institute.

Xiao noted that silver-haired travelers were among those taking trips this holiday, adding a new dimension to the tourism boom.

For those staying closer to home, the desire for springtime enjoyment was equally evident, with a growing willingness to spend on leisure and recreation.

"All tables for the festival were booked a week in advance," said the manager of a hotpot restaurant in Changzhou, located in east China's Jiangsu Province. In the Ronghui old commercial area of Jinan, eastern Shandong Province, even the outdoor dining areas of cafés and bars were bustling as people enjoyed leisurely experiences.

The surge in consumer activity, both in tourism and retail, is partly attributable to China's focus on boosting domestic consumption. The government has placed significant emphasis on consumption as a primary engine for the country's economy.

China will "place a stronger economic policy focus on improving living standards and boosting consumer spending," according to the 2025 government work report. In mid-March, the country released a special action plan outlining key strategies to support consumption.

During the Qingming holiday, various regions implemented measures such as distributing consumption vouchers and launching promotional activities to further stimulate spending, reinforcing the government's commitment to boosting domestic demand.

"China's consumer market remains resilient, vast in potential, and full of vitality," said Li Gang, an official with the Ministry of Commerce. "With sustained efforts to expand consumption policies, the domestic market will maintain stable growth." Enditem

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