SHANGHAI, Oct. 5 -- NEARLY 2.53 million tourists visited Shanghai during the first three days of the weeklong National Day holidays that began on Monday, the city's holiday office said.

The figure is a 17.6 percent increase from a year earlier.

The Shanghai Tourism Distribution Center handled 50,000 tourists in the three days and has already sold 16,000 package tickets for the rest of the week.

Yuyuan Garden, one of the most renowned scenic spots in Shanghai, hosted 910,000 tourists up until Wednesday, rising 7.7 percent from a year ago.

About 84,000 tourists flocked to the southern Fengxian Bay Tourism Area in the three days, more than double the same period of last year.

Century Park attracted 44,000 tourists, thanks in large part to 21 floats that paraded through Shanghai for the Tourism Festival. The floats are on display at the park until Sunday.

Among the tourists reaching Shanghai on October 1 and 2, about 460,000 came by train, rising 8.7 percent on a yearly basis; 123,000 flew, up 10.5 percent; and 8,000 took ships, up 20.2 percent.

However, people traveling in long-haul buses declined 10.3 percent to 163,000 in the two days, the office said.

The Shanghai Tourism Administrative Commission has estimated that about 4.2 million visitors are due in Shanghai during the holidays, a rise of five percent compared with the last Golden Week holiday.