The 2015 Jiangnan (south of Yangtze River) peony cultural festival drew to a close at Yuanhuayuan Villa in Liuhe town, Taicang, on May 11.

In addition to colorful peony flowers, the month-long festival highlighted activities such as a children's graffiti contest, photography contest and live 'CS' - a laser-tag activity based on the popular online video game Counter Strike.

The city's seafood festival, held from March to May, also contributed to an increase in tourism in Liuhe. According to a staff member of the Riverside Garden Hotel, the hotel's turnover during the festival was several times more than that during regular operation periods. The majority of tourists visiting the town were from Shanghai.

As a neighboring city of Shanghai, Taicang is eyeing up Shanghai's tourism market. It has launched various tourism activities to lure visitors from the Shanghai such as the peony cultural festival.

Edited by Jacob Hooson