Discounts multiply during gap between holidays

Some Chinese tourists choose to spend their paid vacation by visiting natural areas in China and abroad thanks to lower prices and quality tours. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"The same trip cost at least 2,000 yuan more during the National Day holiday," he adds.

Less crowded scenic spots and much more smooth traffic are among perks for traveling after the major holiday.

A total of 593 million people visited tourist attractions around the country during the holiday, up 12.8 percent year-on-year, the China National Tourism Administration reports.

They spent 482.2 billion yuan during the holiday, up 14.4 percent.

Many scenic spots were then crowded with tourists.

Lin had a bad experience traveling to Jiangsu during the last Spring Festival.

"It was all jammed up around at the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, and many shops were closed in Nanjing," he recalls.

"The price was steep too."

However, post-holiday travelers seemed to have got a good bargain.