Fireworks explode at the Xinghai Square in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province, Jan 24, 2012. [Photo by Zhang Xiaomin / China Daily Dalian Bureau]

Dalian's tourism pocketed 1.04 billion yuan ($165.5 million) during the week-long Spring Festival holiday, up 18.7 percent from the previous year, the city's tourism administration announced at a news briefing on Saturday.

According to the briefing, more than one million tourists both from home and abroad swarmed into Dalian, a popular tourist destination in Northeast China's Liaoning province, during the golden week.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, which fell on Jan 23 this year, is the most important annual festival in China. Shops, restaurants, and parks launch various promotional events, and people are likely to spend more money to celebrate the festival.

This year in Dalian, more people went to hot springs and ski parks, besides going shopping and going to restaurants. The traditional way of celebrating the lunar new year in farmers' houses in the nearby rural areas also attracted many urban residents.

Fireworks explode at the Xinghai Square in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province, Jan 24, 2012. [Photo by Zhang Xiaomin/China Daily Dalian Bureau]

More than 300,000 people went to the Xinghai Square to enjoy the annual firework show on the evening of Jan 24.

Another 25-minute firework show will be held on Feb 6 to lower the curtain of the Spring Festival gala.