[Photo via VCG]

As summer travel is in full swing, data from several travel platforms have shown the unlimited vitality of Beijing's summer tourism market. Data from Meituan shows that Beijing is the hottest tourist destination in the country in July. The last month saw a surge in the number of ticket orders and visitors for Beijing's scenic spots as well as the number of accommodation (including hotels and B&Bs) bookings. Based on Qunar.com's list of popular summer destinations in China, Beijing holds 5 out of the top 10 spots. The Universal Beijing Resort takes first place, while the Badaling Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Palace Museum, and National Museum of China follow closely behind.

As the summer vacation begins, the Palace Museum is crowded with visitors, and study tours from all over the country can be seen throughout the premises. There is a long queue at the east gate of the Temple of Heaven Park, and a new sunshade has been set up at the gate of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests for tourists to cool off. Many parents take their children dressed in Hanfu to "time-travel" through the Drum Tower and stroll around the Beihai Park, while others head straight to Universal Beijing Resort as their first stop to experience the "DJ Water Evening Show" and take photos with cartoon characters such as Kung Fu Panda and Minions.

Many citizens have noticed that recently there are more international visitors strolling through the streets. Beijing has become one of the most popular cities for inbound foreign tourists.

Recently, Luke Serdar, an Australian traveler who visited China with his Beijing girlfriend, had nothing but positive things to say about their time in Beijing. As the most important stop on their journey, Luke was thoroughly impressed by the stunning scenery and delicious food that Beijing had to offer. Despite their tight schedule, they managed to visit many famous landmarks such as the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the Great Wall. Luke was particularly impressed by the taste of Peking Duck and Yanjing Beer and enjoyed trying out mobile payment systems and sampling snacks at night markets. After that, he scanned the code to open a shared bike and ride along Chang'an Avenue. "Beijing is great for foreigners to visit, and I really don't want to leave here!"

(Source: Beijing Daily)