During the 2026 National Day holiday, extended vacation arrangements drove a sustained influx of cross-provincial travelers into Heilongjiang. A National Day holiday tourism consumption recap released by TONGCHENGTRAVEL (HK: 00780) shows that the cultural and tourism market across Heilongjiang Province continued to heat up, with Yichun scenic area booking popularity rising nearly 50% year-on-year, making it one of the most eye-catching destinations on the northern autumn foliage map.
Data from the TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform shows that Heilongjiang's long-haul autumn foliage market performed exceptionally well, with booking popularity for popular scenic areas across the province increasing nearly 40% year-on-year. Harbin ranked among the nation's top long-haul travel destinations, while Yichun and other scenic areas saw booking popularity rise nearly 50% year-on-year.
European-style urban architecture combined with the colorful autumn foliage of mountainous terrain proved highly popular among visitors. Landmarks such as Central Street and Sun Island attracted large numbers of families and young travelers, with local hotel and homestay bookings extremely brisk. Autumn foliage destinations such as Yichun and the Greater Khingan Mountains gained rising popularity, as many visitors avoided crowded urban centers and headed to smaller towns for a relaxed vacation. County-level self-driving tours and forest autumn foliage viewing became mainstream travel styles.
Data from the TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform shows that accommodation traffic in cities such as Harbin ranked among the highest. Many visitors used Harbin as a hub to embark on multi-city串 travel, heading north to forest regions and border areas for in-depth exploration. The average length of stay for visitors lengthened, driving simultaneous increases in car rental, self-driving, and specialty dining spending.
Yichun is precisely a key stop on this "heading north" route. Departing from Harbin and traveling north into the forest region, the colorful mountain scenery and autumn splendor of the forest sea have transformed Yichun from a "transit point" into a "destination."
Urban Sightseeing, Forest Autumn Foliage, and Border Leisure Thrive Across Multiple Lines
During the National Day holiday, the scenic areas with higher visitation popularity in Heilongjiang Province mainly included: Jinshan Deer Park, Longshan Zoological and Botanical Garden, Volga Manor, Harbin Polar Park Polar Pavilion, and the Siberian Tiger Park. Urban sightseeing, forest autumn foliage viewing, and border leisure flourished across multiple lines. Various festivals and intangible cultural heritage performances were also launched across the province to enrich visitors' holiday experiences.
Data from the TONGCHENGTRAVEL platform shows that during the holiday period, accommodation booking popularity across Heilongjiang Province achieved double-digit growth compared to the same period last year, with the increase ranking among the top long-haul tourism destinations in China. Accommodation bookings in autumn foliage destinations such as Yichun also rose accordingly.
AI Empowers Yichun's Autumn Foliage Experience to Become More "Intelligent"
Smart travel services are being widely integrated into the entire visitor travel process. Demand for AI itinerary planning and scenic area AI commentary saw rapid growth, with many visitors using intelligent tools to plan forest autumn foliage loop routes and border self-driving routes. Visits to smart companion commentary at major popular scenic areas increased significantly, providing convenient digital tour support for visitors exploring urban districts and forest mountain scenic areas.
For Yichun, the combination of AI planning and forest autumn foliage viewing is enabling more young travelers to embark on spontaneous trips. From Harbin to Yichun, from the city to the forest sea, this National Day, Heilongjiang's autumn colors were seen by more people. Behind Yichun's nearly 50% growth is a forest capital being rediscovered. For northern autumn foliage, the next stop is Yichun.