May 19, why is it “China Tourism Day”? The answer is hidden in this day 413 years ago.
That is the story of a “backpacking” traveler from the Ming Dynasty. His name was Xu Xiake, and he was from Jiangsu. There was no high-speed rail, no navigation, and not even a reliable map. He relied on his own two feet to travel across most of China and wrote the 600,000-character “Xu Xiake’s Travels.”
When he set off, nobody thought it was a big deal.
But 413 years later—325 million people embarked on journeys around the day of his departure. Tourism has become a perfectly natural part of Chinese life. This is the origin of “China Tourism Day.”
1. A festival, the “National Tourism Season” being launched
“5·19”, homophonic with “I want to travel” in Chinese. This day is not only to commemorate an ancient person but also to bring “poetry and distant places” closer to ordinary people, even closer.
This year’s “China Tourism Day” theme is – “Enjoy Quality Travel, Explore Scenic Land”. From April to May, multiple provinces across China have coordinated a “National Tourism Season.” The grand event was launched in Guangzhou, where a feast of culture and tourism, born from the collision of Lingnan culture and modern technology, awaits you.
2. May Day in 2026, three interesting phenomena
Let’s first look at a set of “May Day” domestic tourism data:
- Domestic tourist trips: 325 million, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%;
- Total domestic tourism spending: 185.492 billion yuan;
- Total cross-regional movement of people across society: 1.517 billion person-times.But what’s really worth discussing is not these large numbers, but the three quiet shifts happening below:
First, nightlife won the daytime.
National-level night culture and tourism consumption clusters saw 80.41 million visitors, an increase of 6.44%. Night markets, night tours, night performances… people discovered: going out at night is better for browsing.
Second, culture is a “rigid demand”.
Grottoes, ancient cities, and cultural and museum venues are so popular that it’s hard to get a ticket. Intangible cultural heritage handicrafts and study tour experiences have changed from “niche check-ins” to “the whole family loves them”. Going out to play is not just about enjoying the scenery, but also about gaining knowledge.
Third, slowness is a new experience.
Family parent-child trips and multi-city liên vận trips are still happening, but the pace has clearly slowed down. “Special forces” style check-ins? Outdated. Less rushing, more relaxation—finding a comfortable place, even if it’s just to do nothing for two days, is a true vacation.
3. Not only Chinese love to play, tourists from all over the world also come
This May Day holiday, 1.255 million foreigners entered and exited China, a year-on-year increase of 12.5%.
The “difficulty in payment” that inbound tourists found most troublesome has also seen a qualitative leap – China UnionPay and NetsUnion handled a total of 28.937 billion payment transactions. In the words of one foreign tourist, “Coming to China used to be like an adventure; now it’s like going shopping at home.”
This is a true two-way street: Chinese people go out, and foreigners come in.
When Xu Xiake set off back then, he didn’t intend to commemorate anyone. He just wanted to travel. But looking back today, we realize—that “just go” impulse has never changed.
May 19th, China Tourism Day. It’s not asking you to travel far. Even if it’s just:
- Stepping out of your house, visiting a park you’ve never explored;
- Turning into an alley you’ve never walked down;
- Or, carefully planning your next vacation.
Setting off, that’s the meaning of travel.
After reading this, who do you want to @ to set off together?
