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Shaoxing served 2.27 million tourist trips during the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival holiday, marking a 21.1 percent year-on-year increase, according to statistics from the municipal bureau of culture, radio, television, and tourism. Overnight stays accounted for 1.53 million trips, surging 33 percent.

Despite rainfall impacting some outdoor activities, locals and tourists enjoyed a vibrant cultural and tourism experience blending tradition with modernity.

Tourists sightsee in the rain in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, during Dragon Boat Festival. [Photo/Shen Hongquan for Tide News]

Cultural tourism remained highly popular. Dafo Temple in Xinchang county offered immersive cultural activities, including riddle guessing where winners received scented sachets or five-color silk string. 

Yuecheng district's Canal Dragon Boat Festival Banquet series, featuring dragon boat races and intangible cultural heritage performances on water, drew over 30000 spectators. This boosted the average daily passenger flow in surrounding commercial areas to nearly 100,000. Shaoxing Rice Wine Town's floating market revived ancient canal commerce, attracting over 24,000 visits and generating revenue of 300,000 yuan ($41,730.08). Ancient towns like Anchang and Keqiao offered activities like bamboo weaving workshops, dipping realgar wine on the forehead, and traditional performances.

Family-oriented activities flourished, coinciding with International Children's Day. Shaoxing Oriental Neverland offered free admission to children under 15, driving total visits to 39,000 — an 80 percent surge. The Shaoxing Museum attracted 12,000 visits with different events, with families making up over 60 percent of visitors.

Performance-driven tourism was also a major highlight. Singer Emil Chau's two consecutive concerts averaged over 7000 attendees per show. The concurrent two-day 2025 Xishi Music Festival ingeniously integrated local Zhuji culture and tourism resources. Its "one ticket, all access" plan effectively transformed music fans into tourists.