BEIJING – Beijing and Shanghai, China’s two biggest cities, have received a huge number of tourists during the National Day holiday, local tourism authorities said Thursday.

During the eight-day holiday, more than 15 million tourists have visited Beijing’s ten major parks and the Tian’anmen Square area in the center of the Chinese capital where a massive military parade was held on Oct. 1.

In addition, China’s National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest”, received over 220,000 domestic and overseas tourists.

Shanghai received 5.8 million tourists during the eight-day period, up 17.3 percent from last year’s National Day golden week.

The Chinese financial and business center earned 4.6 billion yuan (673 million U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue, up 21 percent from the National Day holiday last year.

The holiday is usually a weeklong golden week. But this year it is extended to eight days as the Mid-Autumn Festival, also a public holiday, fell on Oct. 3.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:

During the eight-day holiday, more than 15 million tourists have visited Beijing’s ten major parks and the Tian’anmen Square area in the center of the Chinese capital where a massive military parade was held on Oct.
But this year it is extended to eight days as the Mid-Autumn Festival, also a public holiday, fell on Oct.
dollars) in tourism revenue, up 21 percent from the National Day holiday last year.