Lotuses come into full bloom in a tourist destination in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, received 1.26 million tourists during the Dragon Boat Festival from June 25 to 27, according to statistics from the Hangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, TV and Tourism that were released on June 28.

The average number of tourists arriving in Hangzhou was 418,600 per day, almost three-fifths of the same period last year. About one third of the tourists were from Zhejiang, while others were mainly from surrounding provinces such as Anhui, Henan and Jiangsu.

Tourists staying overnight in the city on June 25, the first day of the holiday, was 148,000 more than the day before. B&Bs (bed and breakfast) in suburbs such as Tonglu county were unexpectedly popular, with booking rates reaching almost 100 percent. Tourists also benefited from a non-contact system that allowed them to check in or check out of their hotels within just 30 seconds.

Hangzhou has strictly followed a booking system in which tourists visiting its 26 major scenic spots should make reservations in advance and can have their information updated via the official WeChat accounts of visithangzhou and hzfbwx.

The Linyin Temple scenic area, Songcheng theme park and Hangzhou Paradise earned the highest reservation numbers during the three days. Tianmu Mountain, Xixi Wetland and Qiandao Island were also popular tourist destinations.

A bird rests on the water in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]