Liede village in Guangzhou celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival on Monday. (Photo: VCG)

Chinese tourists spent a total of 36.2 billion yuan in the three-day Dragon Boat Festival, according to data released by the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Sunday.

Data shows 89.1 domestic tourists celebrated  the three-day holiday, an increase of 7.9 percent from last year.

The data also shows that cultural tourism picked up and folk custom-themed tours gained in popularity. Traditional dragon boat races were staged in different provinces in south China, including Fujian, Sichuan and Macao.

Hunan Fenguang ancient city Tuojiang River attracts thousands to the annual custom of grabbing ducks during the Dragon Boat Festival. ( Photo: VCG)

Coastal cities like Sanya, Xiamen and Qingdao have become major tour destinations as midsummer approaches. Since the World Cup in Moscow began last week, “World Cup fever” is gripping the country.

Tourists enjoy soccer-themed entertainment at Jiangsu Tianmu lake water world on June 16. (Photo: VCG)