Scenic areas across China offered a mix of cultural, leisure and adventure experiences during the five-day May Day holiday ending Tuesday, reflecting tourists' varied tastes from lakeside picnics to aerial views and nighttime spectacles.

In Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, the Jiuru Mountain Waterfall Group Scenic Area introduced more than 20 hands-on craft activities, from dried-flower photo frames and nutshell wind chimes to lipstickshaped soaps. The site also opened a forest pool where visitors could wade and play in the water.

In Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, a lakeside park has reopened after a comprehensive upgrade, allowing locals to stroll along the lakefront walkways and pitch tents on the lawns for picnics to unwind amid the city's greenery during the holiday.

"Scenic spots are usually overcrowded during the holiday, so picnicking near home might be more comfortable and relaxing, because we don't need to rush. I think it's very nice to just walk by the lake and set up a tent nearby," said Mr. Xiao, a Nanchang resident.

In Beijing's Miyun District, tourists can enjoy the magnificent view of the iconic Miyun Reservoir from a helicopter or the peaks of surrounding mountains.

For those craving more active pursuits, the tourist attraction also features jungle off-road driving, mountain camping, outdoor archery, and a chance to taste local cuisine, such as handmade sweet potato noodles.

"We have invented five flavors: hot and sour, numbing and spicy, rattan pepper, tomato, and a spring-limited Chinese toon flavor. We are selling about 1,000 bowls of sweet potato noodles a day during the May Day holiday," said restaurant owner Tian Xinboya.

The Simatai section of the Great Wall in Miyun has staged themed light shows that combine modern lights, waterborne performances, and thousand-year-old intangible cultural heritage molten iron fireworks to create a visual feast for nighttime visitors.

During the holiday, the Tangmo scenic area in Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, has held Ao Fish (a mythical giant fish in Chinese culture) lantern performances and parades of Huizhou fish-shaped lanterns, attracting flocks of visitors and bringing income to nearby villagers.