Mid-Autumn Holiday: Tourism surges, passenger volume hits 528k
By Chen Zai
Yichang's culture and tourism sector remained buoyant during the 2026 Mid-Autumn Festival holiday (September 25 to 27), with visitor numbers rising nearly 14.5 percent and total tourism revenue jumping more than 15 percent from the same holiday period in 2024. Last year, the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays were combined, so it was more accurate to compare this year’s numbers with those of 2024.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, the riverside avenue (Yanjiang Avenue) is brightly lit, bustling with heavy traffic and a large crowd of visitors. Photo by Liu Kun.
Night tours along the riverfront became a highlight of the holiday activities. Ten iconic landmarks along the Yangtze, such as Shuangting Square, Zhenjiang Pavilion, Dananmen, and Ermalu, offered a variety of nighttime performances. People enjoyed light shows, song and dance, traditional folk music, Chinese opera and parades, and wandered around pop-up intangible cultural heritage markets.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhenjiang Pavilion is packed with visitors watching the Wang Zhaojun-themed performance (《阁影昭君》). Photo by Liu Kun.
At Zhenjiang Pavilion, a foreign tourist poses for a photo with a performer. Photo by Liu Kun.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ermalu Historical and Cultural Block offers a succession of performances - including window-display song-and-dance shows, "face-changing" acts, and lion dance parades. Photo by Wu Yanling.
The "Full Moon over Jingchu, Overseas Chinese Gather in Yichang" Mid-Autumn Festival Gala for the Hubei overseas Chinese community is held at Shuangting Square in Binjiang Park, featuring joint performances by overseas Chinese and foreign friends in a festive atmosphere. Photo by Lin Xiao.
Scenic spots rolled out new attractions and experiences for the festival, such as a space tour themed on ancient Chinese poet Su Shi at Sanyou Cave, a temple fair at Chexi, and the “Eternal Love Carnival” at Three Gorges Eternal Love Scenic Area.
Across Yichang's counties and districts, Mid-Autumn celebrations included Xingshan's "Full Moon, Remembering Zhaojun" event along the Xiangxi River, Dangyang's Guangong Cultural Tourism Festival, Zigui's "Chang'e Delivers Mooncakes" campaign and folk arts performances, and Wufeng's folk culture performances and promotional sales.
Xingshan County holds the "Full Moon, Remembering Zhaojun" event. It features an array of activities, such as traditional performances, folk markets, poetry and lantern riddles, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and river lantern releasing. Photo provided by Wan Chunfeng.
A Mid-Autumn Festival performance is held at Jiuge Alley in Zigui County, attracting numerous residents and tourists. Photo by Zhou Shiwei.
Events in shopping areas boosted spending. The city's 11 shopping complexes recorded a combined 1.311 million visits and sales of 61.92 million yuan, while the dining sector generated about 467 million yuan in holiday revenue. On September 24, Yichang launched an invoice lucky draw program and a holiday consumption voucher campaign, with an initial rollout worth 12.5 million yuan. As of the evening of September 26, the two initiatives generated nearly 50 million yuan and 3.24 million yuan in spending, respectively.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wujiagang District's Night Feast draws massive crowds of locals and tourists to experience a blend of authentic local flavors and traditional charm. Photo by Huang Xiang.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the 6th Season of the Mid-Autumn Festival Fair at Xingfa Plaza blends local tradition and modernity through themed concerts, traditional parades, and light shows. Photo by Huang Xiang.
Passenger transport services handled a total of 528,100 passenger trips during the holiday, while 38 expressway toll stations recorded 526,600 vehicle passages. The newly launched riverside sightseeing bus service operated 81 trips, carrying 1,560 passengers.
The following people contributed to this story.
Reporters: Yang Jing, Wan Chunfeng, Zhou Fanya, Gao Yu, Hu Xingjun, Song Yujie, Yang Chunyan, Jin Zhi; Correspondents: Wang Qinying, Yang Zilin, Zou Yu, Chen Xin, Shang Qi, Li Caiyun, Wu Jiameng, Yin Xiaofeng, Wan Chun, Wang Yinhuan.
