Shanghai has witnessed a booming tourism market during the "golden week" holiday from Oct 1 to 7.

Data from the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism shows that during this year's National Day holiday, the city received 18.62 million visitors and logged total tourism revenue of 26.92 billion yuan (about $3.8 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of 4.6 percent.

During the holiday, Shanghai's hotels reported an average occupancy rate of 59 percent, up 7 percentage points from the same period last year.

The city's 36 major commercial centers registered a total of 34.49 million visitors during the holiday, a year-on-year increase of 9.8 percent.

To meet the diversified needs of tourists from near and far, the city has introduced a series of cultural events and activities, including the Eternal Notre-Dame VR digital immersion exhibition, On the top of Pyramid: the Civilization of Ancient Egypt exhibition, and The Great Art of Dunhuang.

In addition, high-profile performances such as a John Legend concert and the Budweiser Storm Electronic Music Festival have attracted many young audiences.

The city has also blended traditional folklore culture with the unique Jiangnan water town landscape. Iconic ancient towns such as Zhujiajiao and Fengjing rolled out folklore performances and markets featuring products with traditional Chinese elements.

Mini-vacations such as rural home stays have turned out to be a new popular choice during the holiday. Many urbanites also took the chance last week to experience immersive countryside life at events like the straw festival in Jiabei Country Park and the autumn market fair in Pujiang Country Park.

Sources: Shanghai Observer, Jiefang Daily