BEIJING – About 13,400 Chinese mainland tourists flocked to Taiwan last week, spending TWD850 million (US$25.5 million U.S. dollars) in their first Spring Festival holiday on the island, a Xinhua report said.

    According to the Taiwan Tourism Authority, each visitor spent a daily average of about TWD9,000 from January 26, the first day of the Spring Festival or lunar New Year, to February 1.

    Taiwan's Sun-Moon Lake drew the most mainland visitors, attracting 12,647, followed by Ali Mountain at 10,690.

    Warming Mainland-Taiwan relations and key policy changes in the past year have boosted the cross-straits tourism business.