A deliveryman carries daily necessities for residents in Pudong district, East China's Shanghai, March 28, 2022. (Photo: Xinhua)

BEIJING - China's postal and courier industry was less busy during the recent Tomb Sweeping Day holiday, or the Qingming Festival, due to strict COVID-19 epidemic control measures, data from the State Post Bureau showed Wednesday.

From April 3 to 5, 1.35 billion parcels were collected and delivered by the country's postal and express companies, the data showed.

During the period, the number of parcels collected slid 13.3 percent year-on-year to 660 million, according to the bureau. This figure marked an increase of 24.1 percent from 2020.

The number of parcels delivered reached 690 million, down 12.8 percent from a year ago, but 27.1 percent higher than the figure from 2020, the data showed.

Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese holiday during which people pay tribute to the dead and worship their ancestors. The three-day holiday concluded on Tuesday.