Spring fever sends record number of Chinese abroad

Phuket Island in Thailand [Photo by Pan Meifang/ China Daily]

Domestic destinations

Fujian's Xiamen has, for the first time, taken the top spot among domestic destinations, major travel agency Tongcheng Network Technology reports.

Tropical Hainan province's coastal city Sanya, which has dominated the list for years, is No 3, after Beijing. (The list is based on bookings up to mid-January.)

Visitors are divided roughly evenly among those seeking warmer weather and those seeking winter wonderlands.

In addition to Sanya and Xiamen, snowbirds will fly to Guangdong province's capital, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen city to bask in the balmy weather. Families are expected to pack Guangzhou's Chimelong Safari and Paradise parks.

Snow bunnies will hop to Northeast China's chilly locales, such as Jilin's provincial capital, Changchun, and the nearby Changbai Mountains, and Heilongjiang province's capital, Harbin.

Harbin's Ice and Snow Amusement World draws crowds with hundreds of ice and snow sculptures, including a village's worth of multistory buildings fashioned from LED-illuminated ice blocks. The city ranks No 4 among domestic destinations this holiday.

Nearby Yabuli Ski Resort is expected to draw crowds, since China's winning bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics has inspired more people to get into winter sports.

Prices will peak in pace with the number of travelers who'll depart on Feb 8 and 9, when the volume of trips is expected to be twice that of other days during the festival.

Take Ctrip's package to Sanya from Shanghai. It costs about 3,000 yuan on Feb 5 and nudges toward 5,000 yuan on Feb 7. It tops out at up to 8,000 yuan on Feb 9－before tumbling toward 2,000 yuan.

"A three-member family can save up to 10,000 yuan if they travel before the Lunar New Year's Eve or after Feb 11," Yan says.

That said, crowds are a constant at domestic destinations during the entire holiday.

This adds appeal to overseas' destinations like Japan.

Hao plans to take his wife and daughter to Disneyland, watch Tokyo's light show and shop.

They'll visit the Tokyo Tower and drop by the University of Tokyo so his daughter can experience an international university's environs.

He chose Hakone to experience hot springs and Fujiyama for its landscapes.

"If it's fun, I'll consider traveling overseas during future Spring Festivals too," he says.

Contact the writer at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn