About 140 tourists from countries including Singapore and Malaysia arrived in Shanghai on the eve of the New Year, just in time for the holiday celebration.
They watched dragon dances, struck bells at a local temple to pray for good luck and watched light shows, which were all part of the city’s New Year countdown events.
Fang Shizhong, Director of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, told Xinhua News Agency that New Year-themed events in Shanghai have been held since 1989, helping the city to pass on cultural traditions such as eating noodles during the countdown and visiting market fairs.
He said Shanghai is striving to develop itself into a high-end international travel destination and reinforce its reputation as international tourists’ “first stop” in China.
This inbound trip
