Shenzhen draws 9.2 million tourist visits during National Day holiday

A packed audience watches a marine-themed show at Xiaomeisha Sea World in Shenzhen during the National Day holiday. Photos from Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

Shenzhen recorded nearly 9.2 million tourist visits and 8.79 billion yuan (US$1.31 billion) in tourism spending during the seven-day National Day holiday, according to preliminary official figures released today.

Average daily tourist visits rose 14.2% from a year earlier, while average daily tourism spending increased 12.3%, according to the Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality.

Museums, theme parks and shopping districts drew large crowds during the Oct. 1-7 holiday, with exhibitions, concerts and sporting events adding to demand for leisure activities and shopping.

Museums and attractions draw crowds

The newly opened Shenzhen Natural History Museum was among the most popular cultural destinations, receiving more than 100,000 visits during the first six days of the holiday.

Opened in July, the museum features eight themed exhibition halls housing more than 7,400 specimens, with displays exploring the evolution of the universe, the origins of life and the ecology of southern China.

Visitors explore an exhibition featuring reproductions of the historic Siku Quanshu, an imperial collection of Chinese texts, at the new Shenzhen Cultural Center.

The Shenzhen Art Museum, which staged 10 exhibitions simultaneously, attracted an average of about 8,000 visitors a day during the first four days.

Theme parks also reported strong attendance. Window of the World welcomed nearly 70,000 visits in the first three days, while Xiaomeisha Sea World and Xiaomeisha Coastal Resort recorded a combined 90,000 visits over the same period.

A performer in traditional ethnic attire serves drinks to visitors at Splendid China · Folk Culture Villages in Shenzhen.

Splendid China · Folk Culture Villages reportedly welcomed more than 80,000 visitors during the holiday, a 15% increase year on year.

Indoor skiing was another attraction. Qianhai Snow World marked its first anniversary with youth skiing competitions, snow-themed entertainment and public skiing lessons, offering a winter sports experience in the subtropical city.

Shopping districts report strong traffic

Foreign visitors browse electronic products at a shop in Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen's major electronics shopping hub.

Foot traffic across 24 major shopping districts monitored by the city rose 16.78% during the seven-day holiday compared with the same period last year.

Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen's electronics shopping hub, attracted more than 1 million visits a day on average during the first six days, about 40% above normal levels.

The number of overseas business visitors increased by more than 80% year on year, with AI-powered devices emerging as a popular purchase.

In Futian District, shopping areas received nearly 7 million visits in the first four days, generating more than 500 million yuan in sales.

Shuibei, a major gold and jewelry trading center in Luohu District, also reported strong demand. Foot traffic at its jewelry markets rose 30% to 40% compared with typical weekends, driven partly by purchases for weddings.

Visitors gather around vehicles on display at the 2026 Shenzhen International Auto Show during the National Day holiday.

The five-day Shenzhen International Auto Show attracted approximately 420,000 visitors, with reservations for 14,759 vehicles worth nearly 2.8 billion yuan.

Concerts and sporting events also helped drive spending. More than 190 merchants across eight major shopping districts offered discounts and other promotions to ticket holders, while over 100 businesses extended their evening opening hours to coincide with concerts.

Travel platforms report strong demand

Visitors crowd the waterfront promenade at Qianhai Stone Park, with the Bay Glory Ferris wheel and Shenzhen's skyline in the background.

Online travel platforms also ranked Shenzhen among China's popular destinations during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday periods.

Ctrip Research Institute projected that Shenzhen would rank fifth nationally for flight bookings across the two holiday periods. Qunar ranked the city sixth for hotel bookings and among the top 10 destinations for inbound travel.

Tongcheng Travel also listed Shenzhen among the country's 10 most popular destinations for overnight trips during the National Day holiday.