Shanghai has unveiled the lottery winners for the first round of dining consumption vouchers to be issued this year, as the city enhances efforts to stimulate consumer spending.

About 4.64 million applications were submitted, with 864,000 dining coupons given out, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce announced at a news conference on Feb 26.

The winners can use the consumption coupons via payment platforms — UnionPay QuickPass, Alipay, and WeChat Pay — throughout March.

According to the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, the coupons were evenly allocated among the three payment platforms. WeChat Pay emerged as the most popular choice among applicants, with 2.18 million applicants, while UnionPay QuickPass saw the least number of registrations at 856,000 individuals.

This year, Shanghai plans to issue a total of 500 million yuan ($68.77 million) worth of consumption coupons in four sectors: 360 million yuan for dining, 90 million yuan for tourism, 30 million yuan for movies, and 20 million yuan for sports.

Among the first round of dining coupons to be issued, the voucher providing a 90 yuan ($12.4) discount for a 300-yuan spending was the most popular choice.

The number of merchants participating in the dining consumption voucher program increased by 2.4 percent from last year, reflecting growing interest in the initiative among businesses.

On the tourism front, more than 3,500 enterprises registered for the first round of coupon distribution, surpassing the total number of the previous year, according to the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.

The vouchers can be used at participating hotels near Shanghai's major airports, tourism resorts, and renowned theaters, while other participating tourism service providers are offering sightseeing bus tours and visits to iconic locations like the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek.

Over half of the consumers who signed up for the tourism consumption vouchers program were from outside Shanghai, indicating the program's broad appeal.

To ensure the transparency and fairness of the lottery drawing process, the Pudong Notary Office oversaw every step, from rule-making to data warehousing confirmation and on-site conduct, ensuring a smooth and impartial distribution process.