Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his state visit to Vietnam on Tuesday afternoon.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, arrived in Hanoi on Monday for a two-day state visit to Vietnam at the invitation of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee To Lam and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong.
In Hanoi, local people and overseas Chinese lined up along the way to the airport, holding red banners and waving Chinese and Vietnamese national flags to bid farewell to Xi and congratulate him on the successful visit.
Xi was seen off at the airport by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, member of the Political Bureau of the CPV Central Committee and permanent member of the Secretariat of the CPV Central Committee Tran Cam Tu, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and Chairman of the CPV Central Committee Office Le Hoai Trung, and other officials.
Vietnam is the first leg of Xi's current three-nation Southeast Asia tour, which is also set to take him to Malaysia and Cambodia for state visits from Tuesday afternoon to Friday at the invitation Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim, and Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.
Xi wraps up state visit to Vietnam
Xi wraps up state visit to Vietnam
China's waterway passenger traffic during the five-day May Day holiday is projected to reach 7.75 million trips, more than 11 percent higher year on year as sailing continue to gain popularity as a holiday activity in recent years.
The holiday, celebrated annually from May 1-5, is one of China's busiest travel and leisure periods, as people across the country take advantage of the time off to relax, travel and seek out entertaining activities.
Nighttime sightseeing tours are already seeing significant growth this holiday period, with riverfront cities like Liuzhou, Guangzhou, and Ningbo reporting heightened interest.
In Liuzhou City of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Liujiang River -- dubbed the "Hundred-Mile Liujiang" for its scenic waterfront -- is expected to attract 38,400 night cruise passengers during the holiday.
"It feels so comfortable and pleasant in this gentle breeze," said a passenger aboard a river ship.
Guangdong Province's Pearl River cruises have sold tickets for over 900 trips that will take place during the five-day holiday, serving more than 150,000 passengers. To enhance tourism appeal, operators introduced combo tickets bundling daytime river tours with visits to the Guangdong Provincial Museum.
Meanwhile, eco-friendly electric vessels, praised for reduced noise and emissions, dominated the night cruise fleet in the provincial capital of Guangzhou.
In preparation for increased passenger flows, maritime authorities prioritized safety checks on new-energy ships, including inspections of battery systems and crew training.
"We focused on conducting a safety hazard inspection of the battery power equipment of new energy ships and strengthened the inspection of the crew's operation ability of the battery power equipment," said Yao Zhi, vice-captain of the Xihe maritime patrol enforcement brigade under the Neigang Maritime Safety Administration in Guangzhou.
In Ningbo, another coastal city in east China's Zhejiang Province, the estuary of the Yuyao, Fenghua and Yong Rivers has been designated as the starting point of the "Three Rivers Night Tour" route, offering views of the city's bridges and waterfront landmarks.
Local officials implemented real-time monitoring of cruise operations to ensure safety.
"By setting a night cruise ship live monitoring special channel, we provide full-process safety protection for passengers from the moment they board the ship until they all disembark. We focus on conducting full coverage inspections of vessels in the waters around passing passenger ships," said Zhao Houyong, vice-captain of the Jiangxia maritime patrol enforcement brigade of the Sanjiangkou Maritime Safety Administration in Ningbo.
China's waterway to handle over 7.7 mln passenger trips in May Day holiday
