With the Year of the Snake a little more than three weeks away, accessories and gifts theming featuring the zodiac animal sign ranging from traditional embroidered sachets to modern gold jewelry are surging in popularity across China, with demand notably increasing.
In Qingyang City, located in northwest China's Gansu Province, a sachet-making company is bustling to fulfill orders for the final batch of snake-themed sachets.
The company's manager said there has been a significant surge in orders for the product.
"Order for snake-themed sachets have increased by 40 percent compared to before," said Jin Liangliang, the manager.
In Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, part of Mianyang in southwest China's Sichuan Province, Chen Yunzhen, an inheritor of traditional Qiang embroidery, has also designed a snake-themed sachet.
With the snake adorned with iconic flowers of the area at its head and tail, the sachet is filled with mugwort and features a coin symbolizing prosperity.
"Here is a coin we designed, which carries the wish that the gift receiver will have no lack of money to spend in the entire year. We hope that everyone who sees this little snake will have a prosperous year and see their wishes come true," Chen said.
Meanwhile, gold stores in Zhengzhou, the capital of central China's Henan Province, are experiencing a surge in sales.
Young consumers are particularly attracted to lightweight, modern gold accessories featuring snake motifs.
These include charming designs, such as the coiled snake, which are popular for their dainty sizes and diversified style.
"These snake-themed accessories highlight what is lovable about snakes, especially when paired with bracelets that carry auspicious meanings. They sell really well, with sales doubling those of last month," said Niu Lina, a store manager at one of the city's gold shops.
Snake-themed gifts surge in popularity across China
Hot tourism cities across China have launched new measures to provide convenient services to tourists, as inbound tourism continues to heat up in the new year thanks to the implementation of a series of new visa-free policies.
Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, has introduced a series of new measures to better serve inbound passengers. Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport set up a new consultation service center, where foreign tourists can consult travel routes, apply for phone cards, and book travel vehicles. At the same time, they can get the English versions of the Hangzhou tourist guide and tourist map made by the Hangzhou Municipal Cultural and Tourism Department.
Huangshan Tunxi International Airport in east China's Anhui Province is one of the newly added ports available to those entering under the 240-hour visa-free transit policy.
During the New Year's Day holiday, the number of foreign tourists traveling to Huangshan City increased by nearly 30 percent compared with the same period last year.
The city, known for its stunning natural landscapes and rich cultural heritage, boasts 56 A-level and above tourist attractions, with the world-renowned Mount Huangshan standing as the crown jewel.
"I saw a lot of beautiful sceneries here and hope I can come to China more often in the future. I love China," said a tourist from Malaysia.
Weihai, in east China's Shandong Province, is the nearest city to South Korea, as it only takes a bit over one hour to fly from South Korea to the city. Since China's latest visa-free policies for Japan and South Korea were implemented, a large number of Japanese and South Korean tourists have traveled to Weihai.
"I come from Gyeonggi Province of South Korea. Weihai presents me a different kind of beauty in winter," said a tourist from South Korea.
Anticipating the arrival of a large number of tourists, the Dashuibo International Airport in Weihai made preparations in advance and optimized services. Weihai Customs and Weihai Border Inspection Station have tracked the forecast information of airlines in real time to provide customs clearance services in a timely manner.
The local tourism department also responded quickly, launching measures such as payment facilitation and full coverage of bilingual guides in A-level tourist attractions.
Chinese cities issue measures to support booming inbound tourism
