BEIJING -- Beijing received nearly 17.5 million visitors during the just-concluded eight-day Spring Festival holiday, up 37.4 percent year on year, said the municipal culture and tourism bureau on Saturday.

The city's tourism sector raked in 28.65 billion yuan (about $4 billion) during the holiday, marking a 40.6 percent year-on-year increase, according to the bureau.

This year's official Spring Festival holiday in China lasted from Feb 10 to 17.

All kinds of Spring Festival temple fairs became one of the top choices for both tourists and locals, with such fairs in the city recording over 5.16 million visits during the period.

Many tourists also opted for village sightseeing travels during this holiday period. The city's village tourism sector recorded over 2.17 million visitors, up 42.2 percent year on year, generating revenues exceeding 224 million yuan.

Over 1,500 performances were held in theaters across the city during the holiday, attracting about 310,000 audiences.