The scene of dragon boat race. 

Border inspection authorities nationwide inspected a total of 5.75 million crossings made by Chinese and foreign travelers during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival this year, which fell on June 8 to 10, the National Immigration Administration said on Tuesday.

This represents a 45.1 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The peak single-day travel occurred on June 8, with nearly 1.98 million entries and exits, it said.

Among these, mainland residents made 2.47 million crossings, a 25.4 percent year-on-year increase. Residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan made 2.78 million crossings, marking a 66.1 percent year-on-year increase. Foreigners made 507,000 entries and exits, a 57 percent increase from the previous year.

Additionally, 238,000 inbound and outbound airplanes, ships, trains, and vehicles were inspected during the holiday, a 35.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed a 6.3-percent year-on-year increase in domestic tourism during the three-day holiday period, which started on Saturday. Over 110 million tourist visits were recorded, generating about 40.4 billion yuan ($5.57 billion) in tourism revenue, an 8.1-percent rise compared with last year.

Travel agencies noted a slight decrease in overall crowds this year due to the scheduling overlap with China's crucial college entrance examination, or gaokao, which was held from Friday to Monday.

However, destinations known for their traditional Dragon Boat Festival celebrations, particularly dragon boat races, remained popular.

"Guangdong province, renowned for its long history of dragon boat racing, saw a doubling of online searches for tour packages during the holiday," reported travel portal Qunar.

Beyond the thrilling races, the festival is celebrated through various customs and activities, including preparing zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings), hanging mugwort for good health, and consuming medicinal liquor for blessings.

According to travel platform Tuniu, the most popular domestic destinations during the holiday were Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou in Guangdong, Nanjing in Jiangsu province, and Chongqing.

Shorter travel times due to the merely three-day holiday also enticed Chinese tourists to explore short-distance overseas options. "Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and South Korea were top choices due to their flight times," reported Fliggy, an online travel agency. Cross-border cruises also experienced a surge in popularity, with bookings jumping 14-fold year-on-year.

Qunar highlighted the cost-effectiveness of traveling abroad during the Dragon Boat Festival, compared with the upcoming peak summer season.

"International flight prices dropped 20 percent year-on-year, and overseas hotel rates remained around 70 percent of what they typically are in July and August," it said, adding that sales for international flights departing during the holiday increased more than 60 percent compared with last year.