Small counties, big appeal: China's "golden week" fuels diverse getaways

China's railways saw the peak of the holiday return rush on Wednesday, with 24.15 million passenger trips expected on the final day of the National Day holiday, amid strong travel demand and vibrant tourism activity across the country.

Tourists wearing exoskeleton robots hike at the Hengshan Mountain scenic area in Hengyang City, central China's Hunan Province, Oct. 6, 2026. Advanced technologies such as exoskeleton devices, AI-powered glasses and robots have enabled diverse and dazzling experiences at tourist destinations across China during the National Day holiday.

The hall of the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin was filled with anticipation. Many local residents arrived early to hear German writers Volker Haering and Christian Y. Schmidt share the story of their bicycle journey retracing the route of the Long March (1934-1936), a military maneuver by the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army that later became a defining chapter in modern Chinese history.

Chinese and Tanzanian artists took to the stage in Dar es Salaam on Saturday night for a vibrant Mid-Autumn Festival gala celebrating friendship between the two countries through music, dance and traditional arts. The event brought together Chinese and Tanzanian guests, performers and members of the Chinese community for a cultural journey featuring artistic traditions from southwest China's Guizhou Province.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday afternoon for a state visit to the United States at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump. Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, were warmly greeted by Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, at the airport in a rare planeside welcome.