BEIJING -- The Chinese capital Beijing saw its tourist and cultural activities bouncing back to pre-COVID-19 levels during the just-concluded three-day New Year holiday.

Approximately 2.7 million people visited the city's 151 key scenic spots from Saturday to Monday, reaching 86.4 percent of the number registered in the same period of 2019, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

The tourist attractions reported a total revenue of about 248 million yuan ($35.6 million), up 44.5 percent from 2019, the bureau said.

Cultural activities rose from the level recorded a year earlier. The city's 75 theaters held 303 commercial performances during the holiday, roughly the same as the figure logged in 2019.

Expectations for a strong recovery in tourism have run high since China further optimized its COVID-19 approach in December 2022, scaling back mandatory testing and lifting most travel restrictions.