China witnesses travel boom during May Day holiday

"This might be the hottest May Day holiday ever. I was awed by the sheer number of tourists," said Zhang Jia, a tourist from south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region who traveled to Beijing with her friend.

She said tickets for famous resorts such as the Forbidden City have been fully sold out.

Apart from the traditional tourism hotspots, travelers who opted for the country's less-known places have encountered the hustle and bustle of the tourism season.

Zibo, a small city in the coastal province of Shandong, has recently become a sought-after destination among young travelers after the industrial city was propelled to internet stardom by its iconic barbecues.

While sparing no efforts to rein in hotel price hikes and implement tourist-friendly policies to cater to the holiday fervor, the city's authorities issued a letter noting that the influx of tourists has exceeded the reception capacity and asked tourists to travel off-peak or consider other cities in Shandong.