Mega projects emerge as tourism powerhouses during Chinese New Year

GUIYANG -- Chinese super projects served as major tourism draws during the Spring Festival holiday which ended earlier this week, showcasing the nation's engineering prowess while also boosting cultural and economic vitality.

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in Southwest China's Guizhou province, recognized as the world's highest bridge, attracted over 300,000 visitors in just nine days from Feb 15 to 23, with 75 percent being self-driving tourists and more than half of them from other provinces.

Integrated with tourism from its design phase, the bridge offers immersive experiences like VR bungee jumping and traditional folk activities, transforming it into a comprehensive travel destination.

This bridge-tourism model has spurred local development, creating nearly 1,000 jobs and increasing per capita annual income by more than 48,000 yuan (about $6,924) during its construction phase.

Such mega projects are not just feats of engineering but also catalysts for rural revitalization, as seen in Huajiang village, where over 40 residents returned home to start businesses such as hostels and food stalls.

Similarly, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, dubbed "China Sky Eye," located in Guizhou's Pingtang county, has evolved into a popular astronomy-themed park, blending science education with ecological tourism during the 2026 holiday.

Interactive exhibits drew families to the site. Li Hong, a self-driving tourist from several hundred kilometers away, noted how the trip had planted "seeds of curiosity" in her child about space exploration.

Authorities are leveraging these sites to promote high-quality tourism products, aiming to build international hubs for science popularization and study tours.

This fusion of technology and tourism reflects a broader trend, with the 2026 Spring Festival having seen 596 million domestic trips nationwide, an increase of 95 million compared to the eight-day Spring Festival holiday in 2025, highlighting a surge in experiential travel.

"We are committed to creating an immersive new form of astronomical cultural tourism around the FAST that integrates sightseeing, experiences and popular science education, enabling visitors to feel the nation's scientific and technological development and the progress of the times through interaction," the scenic area operator said.