An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 7, 2026 shows vehicles passing the Guiyang North toll gate in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Tao Liang)

　　BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- A 2,000-km road trip from Beijing to China's northern border in Inner Mongolia became less tiring for traveler Lu Jian during the National Day holiday, as advanced driver-assistance features and smart navigation eased the journey.

　　"Smart travel allowed us to cover more ground," said the 45-year-old Beijing-based engineer on a family trip during the week-long holiday starting on Oct. 1, one of China's peak periods for travel.

　　From smart driver-assistance systems and wearable robots to AI travel guides, cutting-edge technologies powered smart travel and tourism nationwide during the holiday.

　　At mountainous scenic sites such as the Huangyaguan Great Wall in northern China's Tianjin Municipality and Wuyi Mountain in eastern Fujian Province, wearable robotic exoskeletons have emerged as a new travel aid. Visitors can scan QR codes at self-service stations to rent the devices.

　　"During the peak holiday season, rental rates neared full capacity," said Zhang Hua, chief marketing officer of Shanghai-based ULS Robotics. The firm noted that frequent use by clients of varying ages and body sizes yielded valuable real-world data to refine AI gait algorithms, wearable hardware, and safety mechanisms.

　　Tourists watch the sunrise at the scenic area of Mount Tai in Tai'an, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 8, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)