Scenic spots embrace surging visitors

Scenic spots and municipal parks saw tourist numbers surge as Chinese started to celebrate the Spring Festival on Friday, a report from the National Tourism Administration said.

Visitors to 21 key tourist sites in the capital city Beijing increased by 380 percent on Friday compared to the corresponding day last year. Sites such as the Lama Temple and the Imperial Palace both saw huge visitor traffic, the report said.

Visitors to Shanghai's Century Park jumped 160 percent; the southern province of Guangdong also saw visitors increase 30 percent to 2.6 million on Friday, the report showed.

Friday is the New Year's Day on Chinese lunar caladar. It is also the first day of a seven-day holiday for the Chinese to celebrate the Spring Festival.