Chinese Ministry of Finance on Wednesday issued this year's fourth batch of renminbi (RMB) sovereign bonds worth 9 billion yuan (about 1.26 billion U.S. dollars) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
The issuance includes two-year, three-year and 10-year bonds, each worth 3 billion yuan (about 419 million U.S. dollars).
This marks the 16th consecutive year of RMB sovereign bond issuance in Hong Kong, bringing the total issuance to over 300 billion yuan (about 41.94 billion U.S. dollars).
The Ministry of Finance plans to issue a total of 55 billion yuan (about 7.69 billion U.S. dollars) in RMB sovereign bonds in six batches in the HKSAR this year.
The first three batches, totaling 32 billion yuan (about 4.47 billion U.S. dollars), have already been successfully issued.
China issues 9-bln-yuan sovereign bonds in Hong Kong
China issues 9-bln-yuan sovereign bonds in Hong Kong
China issues 9-bln-yuan sovereign bonds in Hong Kong
China issues 9-bln-yuan sovereign bonds in Hong Kong
Tourism destinations in China are still seeing sizable inflows of travelers, who choose to stagger their trips to avoid the peak season during the Spring Festival holiday and to benefit from better travel experience and lower costs.
In Taiyuan City, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, many potential tourists came to consult with travel agents to make a satisfactory travel plan. According to a travel agent, travel costs could be 20-30 percent lower during the post-Spring Festival off-season than the high tourist season.
"I did not travel during the Spring Festival holiday and now I can avoid the crowds. I want to visit the Yulong Snow Mountain in Lijiang and Xishuangbanna. Also prices these days are lower," said Yang Xubin, a potential tourist.
Travel agents said for travelers who intend to visit the hot destinations, their costs could be about 20 percent to 30 percent lower than the peak season.
This year, the southern part of China became a popular hotspot among off-season tourists, who said they are attracted to the region by the signature buildings and warmer weather there.
In Chaozhou City, south China's Guangdong Province, the iconic Guangji Bridge has been frequented by enthusiastic post-Spring Festival visitors.
"The buildings here are unique, and we've seldom seen such styles in Shanghai. The weather here is also warmer than Shanghai, which has been hit by a cold wave recently," said a tourist from the metropolis.
Travel agents in Huizhou City said Guangdong Province is typically a popular destination among travelers from north China, with some of them taking the opportunity to visit nearby Hong Kong and Macao.
"I am from north China and I came to Huizhou to visit my relatives. I also want to travel to Hong King and Macao as there are fewer travelers during this period of time," said a tourist surnamed Zhang.
Post-Spring Festival travel rush lingers on in tourism destinations