Standing by the emerald waters of the Dulong River in Yunnan province, Li Li, a traveler from Beijing, takes a deep breath, savoring the crisp mountain air.
“I didn’t come here just to check off a bucket list item,” she explains. “I wanted to live here, even for just a few days, to share stories around a fire with the Lisu ethnic group and walk trails untouched by crowds.”
Li’s choice to swap iconic landmarks for a slower, more culturally rich experience is part of a growing trend in China’s travel industry.
The five-day May Day holiday, which ended on May 5, highlighted this shift. More Chinese travelers are moving beyond traditional sightseeing and opting for deeper, personal experiences that blur the lines between being a mere observer and an active participant.
Data from tourism platform Tongcheng Travel underscores this trend. While major cities like Beijing and Shanghai continue to attract visitors, long-distance travel within China has seen a surge, particularly toward the southwest. More than half of the top travel routes are now linked to provinces like Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Chongqing, as urban dwellers leave behind cityscapes for misty mountains and vast grasslands.
