There was no relief from crowds this past Labor Day long weekend as record-breaking numbers of tourists descending upon the capital again this year.

A new record-high 4.65 million tourists visited Beijing during the May Day holiday, up 4 percent from last year.

And, like in previous years, the new Beijing arrivals brought their cash with them. Tourists spent an average of RMB 2,136 each between Apr 29 and May 1, signifying a 6 percent year-on-year increase that led to a total revenue income of some RMB 4.84 billion, itself a 6 percent rise from last year.

To these tourists, Beijing mainly meant one thing: shopping. Sixty stores monitored by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce took in sales worth RMB 2.52 billion over the long weekend, up 6 percent from last year.

When they weren't undergoing retail therapy, the holiday goers were visiting local attractions in huge numbers. Beijing's 11 parks took in 1.92 million visitors with the highest number going to the Summer Palace at 374,000. And while Beijing suburbs like Mentougou were popular destinations, the biggest draw remained the city's historical and cultural sites that saw a 19 percent year-on-year rise in attendance during the holiday officially known as "International Workers' Day."

Women queue on the left, men on the right

Crowds also flocked to this past weekend's Strawberry Music Festival where some complaints have depicted the experience as being less than sweet for concertgoers. Online comments about the international music festival have derided it for its poor service, lamenting food and water shortages as well as transportation issues. There were also reports of women having to wait over one hour to use the bathrooms (men had no such issues).

And yet, with the holiday over, things still haven't yet returned to normal where crowds are concerned. The first day back saw huge crowds queuing for the Line 13 subway when a malfunction caused a delay in service on Wednesday.

Images: BJ News (bj.news.163.com)

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