Consumer spending in the Chinese capital Beijing surged during the week-long Spring Festival holiday, partly because the number of people who stayed in the city for the most important Chinese festival of the year was twice the usual number.

People visit Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

Sales of products from 100 major enterprises reached 5.47 billion yuan ($846.9 million) during the holiday from Feb. 11 to Feb. 17, up 43.1 percent year-on-year, according to the latest statistics from the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.

Data from the municipal bureau of culture and tourism showed that Beijing recorded over 6.63 million visits made by tourists during the holiday, an increase of 3.5 times over the same period last year. Among the total visits, more than 1.72 million were made by tourists from other parts of China, up 96.5 percent year on year. The city’s tourism revenue came to 4.25 billion yuan, up 2.9 times year-on-year.

The daily passenger volume in Beijing’s 22 major downtown shopping areas, including Wangfujing and Xidan, soared by about 90 percent from a year earlier.

The capital issued e-vouchers worth 40 million yuan to residents who answered the government’s call to stay put during the holiday via six e-commerce platforms, including JD.com, Suning, and Meituan.