Shandong province witnessed a tourism boom during the Spring Festival holiday, with its 200 monitored scenic spots receiving a total of 30.53 million visits.

The province's 16 premium 5A-level scenic spots saw 8.41 million visits, up 13.25 percent compared to the previous year. Public cultural venues served 4.42 million people, a 13.87 percent increase. Total tourism revenue reached 1.43 billion yuan ($198.6 million), representing a year-on-year increase of 9.7 percent.

During the holiday, local scenic areas combined cultural elements with innovative formats to revitalize traditional folk customs.

In Jinan, temple fairs and traditional performances such as dragon and lion dances drew large crowds. Visitors enjoyed traditional activities like paper cutting and woodblock printing. In Heze's Juancheng county, a lantern festival at the Water Margin Hero City combined lantern displays with an ice sculpture carnival, offering visitors a diverse array of experiences, including watching performances and eating local cuisine.

Regions also promoted the deep integration of culture and tourism through immersive experiences. The "Qilu No 1" special tourism train departed from Tai'an, turning rail travel into a mobile cultural experience and allowing passengers to immerse themselves in regional history.

In Zibo, the Tanxi Mountain scenic area featured a spectacular ice waterfall festival, while Binzhou hosted an immersive night tour at the Yellow River Tower. By leveraging eight major themed scenes and high-tech visual effects, these attractions offered visitors a unique experience of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.

The interior of the "Qilu No 1" train is adorned with traditional cultural motifs, transforming it into a mobile cultural exhibition. [Photo/WeChat account: sdta12301]