Day 11 of the Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun, is set to witness over 270 million inter-regional trips across China. This massive movement underscores the deep-rooted tradition of returning home for family reunions during the festive season.
According to data released by transportation authorities, the number of inter-regional trips on Friday is estimated to reach 272.74 million. Breaking it down by mode of transportation, 14.2 million passengers are expected to travel by rail, 255.47 million by highway, 680,000 by waterway, and 2.39 million via civil aviation.
The data also highlights a significant increase compared to the previous day, with Thursday recording 256,519,000 inter-regional trips. This marks a 9.7 percent rise from the day before and a substantial 32.3 percent increase year on year.
Looking ahead, about 9 billion inter-regional trips are anticipated in China during this annual travel rush, representing a 7 percent growth from last year. This projection was shared during a national teleconference held at the end of December.
The chunyun period, spanning from January 14 to February 22, 2025, is traditionally a time of high transportation demand as millions of people journey back to their hometowns to celebrate the Spring Festival with loved ones.
This year's travel rush is particularly noteworthy as it marks China's first chunyun following UNESCO's inscription of the Spring Festival on its intangible cultural heritage list in December. This recognition highlights the festival's cultural significance and its role in fostering family and community bonds.
Reference(s):
Day 11 of Spring Festival travel rush to see over 270 million trips
cgtn.com
