According to the tourism bureau of the county of Pingyao, Shanxi province, during this recent Chinese New Year, Jan 23 - Feb 15, the county had 780,000 tourists from China and abroad and tourist revenues of 86 million yuan ($14.2 million). In fact, Pingyao’s Chinese New Year has become a popular brand in itself, among China's many Spring Festival tourism offerings. This year's celebration had a "Walk into 1,000 years of history" theme and such major activities as a lantern festival, Shehuo performance, folk customs experience, Chinese opera, painting and calligraphy exhibits, and videos.
Li Jian, the vice-head of its tourism bureau, said that, in spite of the bad weather, tourist numbers still exceeded those of last year’s Golden Week.
Edited by Roger Bradshaw
