Crowds flock to Beijing attractions as China’s Golden Week holiday begins

Local tourists packed Beijing's Temple of Heaven and Shichahai on Thursday (October 1), as China's National Day holiday kicked off the week-long Golden Week travel period.

Among the crowds were 20-year-old tourists Na Zi from Xinjiang and Wu Tao from Hunan, both drawn to the Chinese capital.

"We, the Xinjiang people, have always dreamed of visiting the capital," Na said, while Wu said every Chinese person hopes to visit Beijing "at least once."

Crowds streamed through the Temple of Heaven, while visitors elsewhere in the capital took boat rides, toured the streets by rickshaw and stopped at roadside stalls as the holiday got under way.

Golden Week is typically seen as a gauge of household spending, but this year's holiday comes amid weak consumer demand, deflationary pressure and a years-long property market downturn affecting mortgage holders, tenants and landlords alike.

Chinese travellers are booking longer holidays and venturing further afield this year, but analysts said a prolonged slowdown in consumer spending means record travel volumes may not translate into a corresponding boost in spending.

Camera: Mandy Leong; Production: Mandy Leong, Angie Teo/Reuters