[Photo via Beijing Daily]

This year's Spring Festival holiday ended on February 17 when park tours were still very popular among locals, with a total of 1,711,100 people visiting parks throughout the city on that particular day, representing a 57.83 percent increase from the previous year. During the eight-day holiday, the city's parks welcomed a total of 10,927,600 visits, up by 117.85 percent year-on-year.

The city's parks have managed to liven up the festive celebration with 109 cultural events dedicated to the long vacation, including cultural tours, nature education sessions, flower exhibitions, folk customs activities, and festive garden parties.

A great number of people participated in the Chinese New Year celebrations at the Temple of Heaven, Zhongshan Park, Beihai Park, Beigong National Forest Park, Lianhuachi Park (also known as "Lotus Lake Park"), Fengtai Park, Changxindian Erqi Park, Nanyuan Park, and Wanfangting Park, where posters with the Chinese character "福" ( Fu in pinyin, which means "good fortune") were given as a gift to visitors.

At Lianhuachi Park, activities of traditional folk culture like throwing pots, crafting lanterns, welcoming the God of Fortune, and solving riddles were rolled out. The education sessions of ecological science and relevant experiential activities of Yuyuantan Park were also popular among tourists.

Also, New Year parties were launched at Longtan Park, Olympic Forest Park, Yuanmingyuan Park ( the Old Summer Palace), Qinglong Lake Park, Beijing World Park, and Tongzhou Canal Park, among other parks. By combining folk custom activities, the Chinese New Year fairs, gourmet food, and recreational activities into one event, these bustling parties brought the vibrant "New Year's vibe" to visitors while dining, shopping, and strolling in the parks.

(Source: The Beijing News)