China's retail sales hit 340 billion yuan (US$49.8 billion) during the "golden week" of Spring Festival, up 17.2 percent over the same period of last year, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Friday.

The bustle in a commercial area in Guangzhou on February 19, 2010, the last day of the Spring Festival Golden Week. [CFP]

Boosted by various sales promotion activities, the weeklong Spring Festival holiday, which started from Feb. 13 this year, is China's closest equivalent to the West's Christmas shopping season.

Food, tobacco and liquor were in great demand during the festival. Sales of food by China's major retailers grew 16.5 percent year on year, while sales of tobacco and liquor were up 13.2 percent.

Communication equipments, Jewelry, garments and home appliances were also customers' hot choices, sales of which soared 19.2 percent, 19.1 percent, 17.7 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively.