Chinese tourists in US 'at loss' amid shutdown of national parks and monuments

Chinese tourists visiting the United States during China’s “Golden Week” holiday have complained of nowhere to visit after the federal government shutdown closed some of the country’s most popular tourist sites.

The US government has had a partial shutdown since Tuesday after the Republican-led House of Representatives refused to approve a budget for next year. The move has led to the closure of some of America’s most-visited tourist attractions that are funded federally, including the Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo, the Statue of Liberty and national monuments and parks.

This week is China’s National Day “Golden Week” during which millions of mainland Chinese go on vacation, some of them abroad. In the US, the closure of popular attractions has left Chinese tourists, and their counterparts from other countries, “at a loss of what to do”, wrote the state-owned media outlet China News Service.

"I flew so far to get here but there is nothing to see," a female Henan tourist visiting Washington told China News.

Tourists from China also voiced their frustration on social media.

A woman identified as Zhang Xiaojia complained on her Weibo account that she had made arrangements to visit Yellowstone National Park but had to go to Salt Lake City instead because the park was closed.