Shanghai's tourism spending during the New Year holiday, running from Thursday to Saturday, reached over 12.27 billion yuan (about 1.8 billion U.S. dollars), as the eastern Chinese metropolis rolled out a series of colorful events to attract tourists.

Shanghai held more than 130 cultural and tourism activities to welcome the new year, and the city also rolled out over 120 travel routes.

The festive events included an iconic running race held on Thursday that drew about 1,000 participants to climb the landmark Oriental Pearl Tower.

During the three-day holiday, Shanghai received more than 6.82 million tourist visits.