"We're new in the city's accommodation industry. The most important thing for us is to keep fair and reasonable hotel rates," says Li Jing, sales director of the Crowne Plaza. Booking for the holiday is very good, especially from October 2 to 5, he says.

The Mid-Autumn Festival on October 3 is giving a boost to booking.

"Viewing the full moon is a great attraction for foreigners, who are the main hotel occupants during the golden week," says Cai Yaqun, deputy manager of the Hangzhou Ramada Hotel.

In order to attract as many tourists as possible, some hotels in scenic spots are launching promotions and traditional culture activities.

"We have prepared games for our guests such as riddle-solving, lantern shows, classical Chinese music concerts, full-moon appreciation and many other activities," says Wu Jianguo, deputy manager of the Hangzhou Hill & River Hotel.

The hotel has launched a new conference model called "Business Meeting in Swimsuits." Participants are required to wear swimsuits in conference functions held near the swimming pool.

"Our restaurant is connected with the swimming pool. That's how we came up with this idea," Wu says. "Business goes smoothly by the swimming pool instead of in the office. And it's getting popular among our corporate clients."

The Landison Longjing Resort Hangzhou has also taken the plunge.

"Hotels in the busy city center don't have the right setting for these kinds of parties, but scenic resort hotels are the ideal venue," says Zhao Jie, the hotel manager.

The charge for one person is 388 yuan, including use of the swimming pool, buffet and decoration.

In the first quarter of the year, Hangzhou received more than 11.23 million domestic tourist visits, a jump of 8.4 percent year-on-year, while the number of overseas tourists reached 444,000, up 0.1 percent.

Total tourism revenue reached almost 16 billion yuan, up 12 percent, according to the Hangzhou Statistics Bureau.

The May Day holiday was highly successful for the Hangzhou tourism market, which took in 1.5 billion yuan. About 2 million tourists visited Hangzhou in the three days, an increase of more than 25 percent from a year earlier.

During the upcoming holiday, new scenic spots will be opened.

They include the old Zhongshan Road dating back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1276), the newly renovated section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Xixi Wetlands. Sweet music at West Lake aXu Wenwen

The monthlong West Lake International Music Festival is underway.

The fourth edition of the music fair runs through October 14 and features 33 shows, including theme concerts, free outdoor concerts, the musical "Cats" and other performances.

Unlike former festivals that featured foreign orchestras, this one features the Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra in two performances.

It performed "Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto" for the festival's opening on September 16 and will present the "Yellow River Cantata" and other pieces at the closing concerts on October 13 and 14.

The festival will also feature excerpts from famous Yueju Opera, including "A Dream of Red Mansions" and "The Legend of White Snake."

The festival is sponsored by the Publicity Department of CPC Hangzhou Committee.