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Taiyuan's cultural heritage sites are popular during the May Day holiday. [Photo/Taiyuan news network]

During the May Day holiday (May 1-5), North China's Shanxi province achieved a year-on-year increase of 169 percent in inbound travel orders, with Taiyuan ranking among the top 10 provincial capitals nationwide in terms of inbound tourism growth rate.

The statistics provided by China's online travel agency Ctrip showed that flight bookings to Shanxi spiked by 8 percent year-on-year, while hotel reservations surged by an impressive 29 percent year-on-year.

Major cities like Beijing, Xi'an, Tianjin, Hohhot, and Shanghai emerged as the primary sources of travelers to Shanxi.

During the holiday, outbound travel from Shanxi surged by 70 percent, paralleled by a 169 percent year-on-year increase in inbound tourism. Among the provincial capitals, the fastest-growing destinations for inbound tourism were, in order, Urumqi, Xi'an, Hangzhou, Kunming, Hefei, Chengdu, Lhasa, Harbin, Jinan, and Taiyuan.

Cultural heritage sites and museums in Taiyuan welcomed 705,800 visitors, raking in 10.92 million yuan ($1.51 million) in ticket sales. Ticket revenues soared by 74.31 percent compared to 2023 and a remarkable 110.18 percent increase compared to 2019.

Taiyuan's cultural institutions launched a variety of activities, boasting 98 on-site events and exhibitions alongside 96 online activities and virtual tours. With captivating exhibitions and vibrant experiences, these initiatives ensured that a multitude of visitors could revel in the cultural allure during the holiday season.