Elsewhere, growth in the city's tourism sector was steady, with a 2.8 percent in visitors overall during the break, and an average hotel occupancy rate 66.3 percent, up 1.3 percent year-on-year.

To promote green travel, Taicang introduced the EVCARD this year, a convenient and easy-to-use electric car rental service platform.

According to the official statistics, the city's 118 rental outlets received 1,855 orders over the eight days, bringing in revenue of over 70,000 yuan ($10,570). Officials said the increase in electric car rentals was at least five-fold on the same period in 2016.

In the summer leading up to "Golden Week" the first Taicang Rural Tourism Festival was held to promote rural and agri-tourism. The municipal tourism administration also held a series of promotional activities in the surrounding cities of Suzhou, Nanjing, Wuxi and Shanghai.

Taicang has one of the largest German populations per capita in all China, and some local expats were on hand to make German pastries. [Photo/ taicangdaily.com]