The Chinese mainland's grand Spring Festival travel rush, known as Chunyun, officially wrapped up Saturday with transportation authorities reporting record-breaking figures. Over the past 40 days, an estimated nine billion trips were made, marking the highest passenger volume in history. Passenger numbers on railways and civil aviation both surpassed previous records, while maritime travel also reached new milestones with over 500 million domestic trips.
This surge in travel activity highlights the growing mobility across the Chinese mainland and the expanding reach of its transportation networks. Equally notable was the rise of new travel habits and trends. The extended eight-day holiday sparked a surge in both domestic and international tourism. With the holiday lengthened by one day this year, more people had the opportunity to balance family reunions with travel. For example, Fang Ying from Lanzhou, Gansu Province, shared her excitement: \"The longer holiday gave me the chance to visit my family and take a skiing trip to Japan.\"
As travel surged, so did economic activity, reflecting the Chinese mainland's vibrant economic growth. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the domestic tourism market saw a 5.9-percent year-on-year increase, with 501 million domestic trips made during the eight-day holiday period from January 28 to February 4. Total spending on domestic tourism reached 677 billion yuan ($93.4 billion), a seven percent increase from the previous year, and a 31.7-percent jump from 2019, underscoring the enduring vitality of the tourism sector.
In addition to tourism, cultural experiences and traditional activities also saw significant interest. With the successful inclusion of the Spring Festival in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, visitors flocked to ancient architectural sites, cultural festivals, and local craft exhibitions. Famous events such as Quanzhou's puppet shows, Shantou's Yingge dance, and the Yuyuan Garden Lantern Festival in Shanghai are becoming must-see attractions for both locals and visitors.
Reference(s):
China's grand Spring Festival travel rush ends with record numbers
cgtn.com
