Changsha city in Hunan province opened a batch of new scenic spots in 2014, such as Xihu Cultural Park, Baxi Island Waterpark and Ouyang Xun Cultural Park, which have become ideal choices for local residents to have fun during the New Year's holiday.

Meanwhile, traditional tourism spots such as Yuelu Mountain are also particularly popular. A fireworks show called "Memories of the South" was put on over Orange Island at 8:30 pm on Jan 1. This show attracted hundreds of thousands of people on both banks of the Xiang River. Huogongdian (Temple of Fire-god) Restaurant in Pozi Street received over 30,000 visitors attracted by the Temple Fair on New Year's Day.

Wu Zixi, manager of Jintaiyang Hot Spring Hotel, said, "Yesterday (Jan 1) we accommodated more than 3,400 visitors. The number of self-driving visitors increased by three times compared with last New Year's Day."

Hotels in Huitang town, Ningxiang county, the best hot spring resort in Hunan province, were filled to capacity on the first day in 2015. As the expressway connecting Changsha, Shaoyang and Loudi opened to traffic, trips from Changsha, Zhuzhou or Xiangtan to Huitang cost travelers much less time than before.

"Expressways radiating in all directions and all-pervading cars allow more visitors to choose self-driving tours,"said a principal of the Changsha Travel Agency Association.