No flights or hotel bookings. Li Meng's itinerary for the 2025 May Day holiday (May 1-5) included exploring weekend markets, attending a city light show and visiting pet-friendly cafés right in her own city.

"I used to travel to other cities during such holidays, but now I realize there are endless corners of Shanghai I've yet to discover after living here for a decade," the 28-year-old Shanghai office worker told Xinhua News Agency.

Her decision aligned with a popular trend. During the holiday, many locals stayed in the city, soaking up the laid-back charm of art exhibitions, pop-up markets and open-air concerts—a trend now dubbed "micro-vacations."

Home is a destination 

The term "micro-vacation" describes the growing trend of opting for brief, localized escapes—often centered on curated hobbies or immersive cultural experiences—during weekends or holidays. Rather than traveling far, participants typically explore their own city or visit neighboring towns accessible within a two-hour train ride, prioritizing convenience and rejuvenation over extended time away.

In Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, Zhang Yun and his family opted for a seaside micro-vacation at Dapeng Peninsula in the easternmost part of the city. They pitched tents on the beach, grilling food and strumming guitars under the stars. "Why waste time queueing at crowded tourist spots when we can enjoy the holiday with flexibility and low stress?" Zhang told Xinhua.

He cited Shenzhen's thriving local cultural scene and the exhausting nature of long-distance travel as reasons for the choice. "After busy work weeks, the last thing we want is another exhausting trip. Staying in the city means we can explore it at leisure, avoiding the rushed 'checklist tourism' of out-of-town trips," he added. "Even in a city you know well, there's always something new to discover if you look closely."

"The rise of micro-vacations reflects the diversification of travel values among urban youth," Zheng Huanzhao, an associate professor of Chinese language and literature at Jinan University in Guangdong, told Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper. "With shifting societal and economic norms, younger generations are placing greater emphasis on varied lifestyles. Increasingly, they're choosing laid-back local getaways that offer both cost-effectiveness and personal satisfaction, aligning with a preference for intentional, meaningful downtime."

Faced with overcrowded attractions, inflated prices and lackluster experiences during peak holidays like May Day, young travelers are looking inward. Deep dives into their own cities—attending concerts, camping in suburban parks or exploring immersive cultural events—have become go-to strategies for balancing relaxation andexcitement. 

To cater to this shift, cities are crafting tailored experiences. Chongqing, for instance, launched a "One-Day Urban Explorer" map guiding residents to niche restaurants, craft perfume workshops and hidden bars. Initiatives like these transform familiar streets into curated adventures, blending leisure with local storytelling.

During this year's May Day holiday, Beijing came alive with nearly 20 themed markets. Among them was the Work with Hands Handicraft Market at Langyuan Station, a five-day event held in a sprawling renovated textile warehouse in eastern Beijing. Despite a 35-yuan ($4.8) entry fee and premium pricing, crowds of young urbanites flocked to splurge on artisanal crafts and one-of-a-kind finds, blending nostalgia with modern leisure culture. 

The market featured nearly 200 stalls showcasing artisans from across China, from hand-churned ice cream makers to coffee roasters and perfumers, many offering hands-on workshops where visitors could learn to craft items themselves. Despite costs far exceeding typical mall prices—think 60-yuan ($8.3) pour-over coffees and 1,000-yuan ($138) linen dresses—the venue thrived as a hybrid shopping hub, concert space and RedNote backdrop.

"I had no travel plans for the May Day holiday, but then I came across this market on social media," one shopper told Beijing-based China Times, proudly displaying her haul: shampoo bars rarely found in supermarkets, botanical aromatherapy blends for better sleep, and a hand-carved wooden sculpture. "It's not cheap, but I don't buy these things every day. Plus, some products are truly special."

Holiday anchor 

For residents living in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, this May Day holiday amplified a striking trend of "micro-vacation:" Hong Kong residents are flooding into mainland Guangdong cities, while residents in neighboring mainland provinces continue exploring Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

With high-speed rail links enabling quick getaways, with Guangdong's Shenzhen being just 20 minutes from Hong Kong's Futian checkpoint and Guangdong's capital city Guangzhou just one hour away from Hong Kong by train, mainland cities are drawing Hong Kongers with their strengths: affordable gourmet food, sprawling entertainment complexes, and innovative "all-in-one" leisure hubs.

On China's popular review platform Dianping, the "Explore the Greater Bay Area" hub saw page views surge 30-fold during the holiday's first three days. Hotpot restaurants topped Hong Kong visitors' foodie lists, while foot massages and spas dominated leisure activity bookings. Notably, Hong Kong users are no longer just seeking travel guides—they're creating them. The platform reported a 20-fold spike in user-generated travel notes from Hong Kongers in April alone.

Zheng said this "two-way tourism"is a new trend in the area. "Unlike the past one-way flow of Guangdong residents heading to Hong Kong and Macao, we now see a reciprocal exchange," he explained. "Cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen offer lower costs, richer amenities and seamless accessibility—a stark contrast to Hong Kong's limited space and higher prices." 

For Hong Kongers, a short trip north now promises not just savings, but discovery—whether sipping milk tea at a viral café or unwinding at a themed spa.

"Shenzhen's foot massages and spa treatments have become a ritual for my cousin and me," Hong Kong resident Lee Lok-shan shared with Beijing Review. "The city offers far more spa options than Hong Kong, and before or after our sessions, we can enjoy hotpot or explore other restaurants—it's all about combining relaxation with great food."

This price gap is driving a cross-border wellness boom. As urban stress mounts, relaxation has emerged as a top priority for holidaymakers, turning massage and spa services into key spending categories.

In Changsha—home to 15,000 foot massage parlors—venues were packed during May Day. Many shops even rolled out themed packages, like pairing traditional Hunan rice noodles with foot-soaking sessions.

Data from on-demand retail platform Meituan reveals a nationwide surge: Foot massage bookings rose 50 percent year on year, while bathhouse orders in Shenyang in Liaoning Province, Beijing and other cities jumped 45 percent.

Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher at the Central Institute of Culture and Tourism Administration, sees the market potential for micro-vacations. "It is not merely a tourism model but also a lifestyle and cultural pursuit," he told Beijing Daily newspaper. "To sustain its long-term viability, it is critical to develop targeted products for diverse demographics—such as young adults, families and senior citizens—while improving service quality."

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson 

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