Tourists visit the Zhanqiao Pier, an iconic scenic area in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Wang Haibin/for chinadaily.com.cn]

During this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from Sept 15 to 17, Qingdao ranked among the top 10 travel destinations in the country.

The city's scenic spots hosted a variety of fun activities that allowed residents and tourists to immerse themselves in the charm of the holiday spirit, while driving the continued popularization of Qingdao's culture and tourism.

According to the online travel service provider Ctrip, Qingdao was one of the top 10 popular tourist destinations in China during this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, with the biggest draw coming from Shanghai, Beijing, as well as Shandong's own Jinan, Weifang, and Yantai.

During the three-day holiday, inbound tourism orders in Qingdao were 258 percent higher than last year, indicating the continuous recovery of Qingdao's international tourism market.

The Ctrip platform shows Qingdao's hot spots for this year's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday were the Tsingtao Beer Museum, the former German governor's mansion, Qingdao Underwater World, and Laoshan Scenic Area, the PLA Naval Museum, and Qingdao Fantawild Dreamland.

The clear and refreshing autumn weather during the holiday season brought a sense of elation to hiking trips, fruit picking, and family outings. Maogong Mountain in Qingdao's Chengyang district welcomed a peak in visitors during the holiday, with tourists from all over coming to admire the autumn scenery and experience the local vibrant red culture.