Chinese people are enjoying various types of cultural activities during the National Day holiday, which runs from Oct. 1 to 7.
China's capital, Beijing, has launched more than 2,400 cultural activities and tourism products for the peak travel period, covering new forms and scenarios of cultural and tourism consumption at places including scenic areas, parks, business districts and night markets.
A total of 41 special sightseeing buses touring the Beijing Central Axis, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are serving 4,000 tourists daily on average.
The Beijing Central Axis, the best-preserved example of traditional central axis architecture in China, extends 7.8 kilometers from Yongding Gate in the south to the Bell and Drum Towers in the north.
East China's Fujian Province is organizing more than 1,100 cultural tourism activities with local features, including performances of Tiao Fan, or Jian'ou flag raising, a national intangible cultural heritage in Jian'ou City.
East China's Jiangsu Province is implementing 629 measures to benefit locals and holidaymakers, including extending opening hours of cultural venues and issuing discount coupons.
In Changxing County of eastern Zhejiang Province, around 60,000 people sang patriotic songs together on the National Day to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Chinese enjoy cultural activities during National Day holiday
Yalu River estuary in northeast China's Liaoning Province is a key biodiversity conservation area in China providing habitats for migratory birds and dozens of endangered species.
Situated at the northern edge of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion, the Yalu River estuary in Dandong, Liaoning Province is a crucial stopover site for birds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway which spans more than 20 countries and regions from the Arctic to Southeast Asia and Australasia.
Staff at the Dandong Yalu River Estuary National Nature Reserve are conducting research on the quantity, species, and spatial distribution of migratory waterbirds as they arrive here during their autumn migration.
"By doing these surveys we can understand the waterbirds' migration patterns, food chains and food distribution. We can also track these birds via satellite to monitor their migration routes and timings within the migratory area," said Ma Li from the nature reserve.
Ma added that the reserve has conducted surveys on northbound waterbirds for 26 consecutive years. The number of migratory birds being surveyed can reach 60,000 to 80,000 during the autumn migration.
As well as being a stopover site for migratory birds, Yalu River estuary also contributes to biodiversity conservation by providing vital habitats for endangered species within the region.
Preserving the typical coastal wetland landscape of East Asia, the Dandong Yalu River Estuary National Nature Reserve accommodates most species of the Liaodong Peninsula in northeast China, thus maintaining the richness and diversity of wildlife.
The nature reserve is home to 453 species of plants, 324 species of birds, more than 80 species of nektons, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
"In terms of global biodiversity conservation, the Yalu River Estuary Wetland in Dandong supports the survival and development of nearly 20 rare and endangered species in the world. Therefore, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this location holds significant importance," said Lei Guangchun, a professor from Beijing Forestry University.
The Yalu River estuary is one of the Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase II) which was included in UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 26.
Migratory bird habitat in China’s Liaoning bears significance for biodiversity conservation
