The glitzy skyline of Pudong New Area on the west side of the Huangpu River in this December photo is a new magnet for tourists visiting the city. The number of Spring Festival visitors increased by almonst 5 percent this year. Bao Xinguo / Asianewsphoto

Shanghai received 3.8 million tourists during the Spring Festival holiday from Feb 18 to 24, up 4.8 percent year-on-year, the city's tourism bureau said.

The tourists brought about 3.75 billion yuan ($625 million) in tourism revenue to Shanghai, up 4.9 percent from last year.

Among the 128 tourist spots in Shanghai, the municipal science and technology museum, the zoo and the Oriental Pearl television tower were the three most popular attractions, receiving more than 400,000 visits in all.

The fine weather during the seven-day holiday contributed to the tourist flow in the city parks and the forest parks in suburban areas.

Folk culture and farm tourism were also popular this year, as well as 104 sightseeing routes covering some ancient towns in neighboring Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces designed by the tourism bureau.

The parks and woodlands bureau decorated 10 major streets in the downtown area to create a festive environment.

At the same time, about 370,000 people traveled abroad from Shanghai during the Lunar New Year, up 40 percent year-on-year.

Thailand was the most popular foreign tourism destination for Shanghai residents. Japan and the United States are the two fastest growing overseas travel spots for travelers from Shanghai. The number of Shanghai tourists visiting the US during Spring Festival doubled over last year.

There were more than 40 festival activities organized by local authorities in the city over the holiday. No public safety accidents happened, to the relief of the city governors, who were on alert after the New Year's Eve stampede on the Bund that killed 36 on Dec 31.

After the stampede, the municipal government set daily limits on the number of visitors to 72 major tourist spots in the city to reduce the risk of accidents caused by overcrowding. The safety measure also helped improve visitors' experience on their tours.

The city's quality and technology inspection authorities conducted intensive examination of parks' large recreation facilities, passenger roadways and sightseeing vehicles in the city before and during the holiday to further reduce the risk of any mishaps.