China officially kicked off its largest annual population migration on Friday, ushering in a record-breaking travel season ahead of the Spring Festival, also known as the Lunar New Year. This year's travel rush, a 40-day period from January 26 to March 5, is expected to see an unprecedented 9 billion passenger trips, marking a significant increase in transportation demand.
The Spring Festival, which falls on February 10 this year, is the country's biggest celebration, where millions of people return home for family reunions. China's railway operators have projected that the railways will handle around 480 million passengers during this travel season, averaging 12 million trips daily—a 37.9% increase compared to last year. On Friday alone, an impressive 10.6 million train trips are anticipated, signifying the start of this year's travel surge.
The civil aviation sector is also gearing up, planning to transport 2 million people and schedule 17,500 flights on the first day of the rush. Major airports such as Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, and Beijing Capital International Airport are expected to witness the highest traffic volumes.
According to the transport ministry, out of the estimated 9 billion trips, approximately 80% (7.2 billion) will be made by self-driving, while the remaining 1.8 billion trips will be via railways, highways, waterways, and civil aviation. This year's Lunar New Year celebration extends from February 10 to 17, one day longer than in previous years, further intensifying the pressure on the nation's transport systems.
As hundreds of millions of people embark on their journeys to reunite with family and friends, the extended holiday coincides with surging travel demand, showcasing China's robust infrastructure and logistical capabilities in managing such a massive annual migration.
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China kicks off Spring Festival travel rush with 9 bln trips expected
cgtn.com
