China hosted 1.07 billion travelers and reaped tourism revenue of 429.2 billion yuan (US$53.6 billion) during the past 14 seven-day vacation.

China implemented the seven-day long vacation since 2000, including the Spring Festival, Labor Day vacation and National Day holiday.

The long vacation system has become a tradition for the Chinese people to enjoy family reunion and sightseeing. The number of travelers during the three annual long vacations satisfied people's traveling needs and their spiritual pursuit, said Zhang Xiqin, deputy director of the China National Tourism Administration.

The number of passengers traveling by air will reach 2.6 million during the upcoming National Day vacation, up 12 percent compared with the previous year. Railway passengers will be 38 million, 1.4 million more than the previous year.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2005)