About 5,000 visitors enjoyed the Shanhu Hot Spring in Xianning city on Jan 1, as hot spring tours in central China’s Hubei province saw a surge in popularity during the New Year holiday, Hubei Daily reported on Jan 2.

Guest rooms from Dec 29 to Jan 1 were all booked a week earlier, and staff at Shanhu Hot Spring has to work with nearby hotels to meet the demand.

A manager of the resort said that it is particularly popular as it also offers breathtaking scenery, in addition to local cuisine and, of course, the hot springs.

Qin Mengxia, marketing manager at Sanjiang Forest Hot Spring in Xianning city, said that more than 3,000 people visited during the short break, which corresponds to a 90 percent occupancy rate for the local hotel.

Other hot spring resorts in Hubei province, such as the Tianyue Hot Spring in Fangxian county, the Yuexi Peninsula Hot Spring in Honghu city and the Yuanhui Hot Spring Resort in Jingmen city, did very well over the New Year holiday, and resort managers said that although this year’s New Year holiday was shorter than last year, it only resulted in a slightly lower number of tourists.

Edited by Niva Whyman and Le Qin