From West Lake hand rowing to the Three Gorges boat lift, data reveals the popularity of water tourism consumption during the National Day holiday
AI-generated summary
During the National Day holiday, tourism markets across China experienced peak passenger flow, and water tourism projects became a hot spot for consumption.
CCTV news: Water voyages reflect the holidays, and data is vivid and vital. The October 3 issue of "Holiday China in Numbers" allows us to experience the vigorous vitality of the water economy during the holidays from the details of each boat.
From rivers to lakes, from rivers to oceans, every voyage measures the true temperature of holiday consumption.
Paddle for 25 kilometers and set off romantic holiday fireworks
West Lake is crowded with tourists during the National Day holiday. A day in the life of Wu Guanghua, a rowing boatman, starts with the first oar in the morning. One trip takes about two hours and covers a distance of about 5 kilometers. During the holidays, he makes five trips a day. The total planned trip is about 25 kilometers, which is equivalent to walking around the West Lake two and a half times. Between the loosening and tightening of the oars, romantic holiday fireworks are swaying.
5,000 punting times, the holiday rhythm of bamboo rafting in Xixinan
Among the green water and green mountains, a small boat moves forward slowly. The holiday rhythm of Xixinan, Huangshan Mountain, Anhui Province is hidden in every punt made by the boatman. During this holiday season, the boatmen made an average of 17 punt trips and more than 5,000 punt trips every day. The workload was four times that of usual times.
Nearly ten thousand people sailed at night on the "top flow" of the Qinhuai River
As night falls over Jinling, the ten-mile Qinhuai River shines brightly. During the National Day holiday, Qinhuai Painting Boat ushered in the peak passenger flow of the year. From 6:30 to 9:00 every night, an average of more than 30 tourists board the boat and enter the river every minute. There are more than 380 boat departures throughout the night, all sailing at full capacity, and can receive up to nearly 10,000 tourists. This volume is equivalent to the number of spectators at a large indoor event. Boat after boat carries visitors from all directions, making the thousands of years of Jinling's fireworks lively and alive in the water waves.
Hard-core data of the Three Gorges Ship Lift, which is nearly 38 stories high
From the Qinhuai River to the golden waterway of the Yangtze River, have you ever unlocked the experience of the "water elevator"? On the two dams and one gorge route in Yichang, Hubei, the Three Gorges ship lift lifted vertically 113 meters in a single step, which is equivalent to the height of a 38-story ordinary residential building, and staged a shocking scene of a 10,000-ton ship "taking an elevator" over the dam. On October 2, the Three Gorges Ship Lift realized two-way traffic for five vessels, and the number of tourists taking the cruise ship was equivalent to the passenger capacity of six full high-speed trains.
1,000 dishes are brought on board, a taste bud journey at sea
On October 1, the cruise ship Aida Mordu departed from Shanghai with more than 4,000 passengers on a 7-day and 6-night National Day themed cruise.
As my country's first domestically produced large cruise ship, the Aida Magic City has a total of 26 restaurants and bars, covering local cuisines in China and delicacies from various countries. The catering volume is almost equivalent to half of Yuyuan Mall. The entire trip is expected to provide passengers with nearly 1,000 dishes. The largest restaurant spans two decks and can accommodate nearly 1,500 people dining at the same time. Moving food to the sea reflects the continued rise in vacation consumption.
During the National Day holiday, China's consumer market showed a new trend, with consumers shifting from pursuing material goods to "emotional consumption." Wuhan and other places meet young people's needs for relaxation and healing experiences through decompression markets, river view restaurants, pet parties and other scenes. The market size reaches 2.72 trillion yuan, and the consumption logic has shifted from "cost-effectiveness" to "price-performance ratio."
During the National Day in 2026, foreign tourists traveling to China set off a "China Haul" shopping craze. From drones to national fashion clothing, foreign tourists show their recognition of China's manufacturing and lifestyle by "voting with their wallets." Data shows that in the first eight months of this year, more than 23 million foreigners entered the country without visas, and inbound tourism is transforming into an immersive experience.
During the National Day holiday, Jinan, Qingdao, Linyi and other places in Shandong Province held many large-scale concerts. They successfully attracted a large number of tourists by providing ticket discounts, exclusive travel routes and supporting services, effectively boosting local accommodation, catering and scenic spot consumption, forming a new cultural tourism trend of "going to a city for a concert".
As of October 3, the total box office of Chinese movies in 2026 exceeded 30 billion yuan. Domestic films occupy eight of the top ten box office seats. The film industry has been deeply integrated with urban consumption through the "movie+" model. The output value of the entire industry chain has exceeded 470 billion yuan, demonstrating strong market resilience.

As of now, the total box office of Chinese movies in 2026 has exceeded 30 billion yuan. Domestic films performed strongly, occupying eight of the top ten boxes at the box office. The film industry drives consumption through the "Film+" model, and the output value of the entire industry chain exceeds 470 billion yuan, reflecting the resilience and high-quality supply capabilities of the Chinese film market.

A report by the Center for Technology and Statecraft, a Washington think tank, pointed out that Chinese chip manufacturers are expected to stock up on 343 DUV lithography machines by early 2026. Although DUV is not as advanced as EUV, it can still be used to manufacture 7nm and AI chips. Experts call on the United States and the Netherlands to completely ban exports to prevent the technology gap from narrowing.