Published on
October 9, 2025
This year, China witnessed an extraordinary holiday travel rush in China during the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. From October 1 to October 8, the country saw a record-breaking 2.43 billion cross-regional trips, with daily travel averages reaching 304 million. The holiday travel rush in China showcased a significant increase in passengers across all modes of transportation, highlighting the country’s growing transportation capacity and improving infrastructure.
A Surge in Travel Across All Transportation Modes
During this holiday travel rush in China, different transportation modes experienced substantial increases in passenger numbers. People traveled across the country by train, plane, road, and water, with each sector reporting impressive growth:
- Railways in China transported approximately 153 million passengers over the holiday period, with an average of 19.24 million travelers per day. This marked a 2.6% increase compared to last year.
- Civil aviation saw significant growth, handling 19.17 million passengers, or 2.4 million daily flights. This represented a 3.4% increase in air travel.
- Waterways had a total of 11.67 million passengers, with a daily average of 1.46 million. This was a 4.2% increase year-on-year.
- The road network, including highways and expressways, experienced an overwhelming 2.25 billion passenger trips, averaging over 280 million per day—up by 6.5% from the previous year.
Record-Breaking Travel Peak on October 1
The holiday travel rush in China reached its peak on October 1, with passenger numbers reaching their highest levels ever recorded. On this day alone, over 336 million cross-regional trips were made. It marked the largest travel spike in China’s history for this holiday period. Additionally, railways in China saw 23.13 million passenger trips on that single day, breaking the previous single-day record.
This travel peak was driven by families heading home for reunions and tourists visiting popular destinations across the country, all of which were made possible by the smooth operation of China’s transportation systems.
Popular Travel Destinations and Urban Clusters
Certain regions in China saw a larger share of travelers during the holiday travel rush in China. These areas are known for their strong economic activity and cultural significance, making them popular destinations during the holidays.
Key urban clusters that saw high travel volumes included:
- The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region
- The Yangtze River Delta
- The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
- The Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle
These regions, with their robust transportation infrastructure, experienced a significant influx of tourists and business travelers, contributing to the overall surge in cross-regional travel across China.
Transportation Infrastructure Meets Rising Demand
To manage the growing demand during the holiday travel rush in China, China’s government took significant steps to ensure smoother travel across all transportation modes. A key factor in accommodating the surge in passengers was the continuous investment in transportation infrastructure.
- Rail stations across the country extended operating hours and opened additional security lanes to help speed up the flow of travelers. Some stations even operated overnight services to assist with the late-night and early-morning travel.
- In provinces like Hunan, local authorities expanded the charging facilities for electric vehicles to support the growing number of self-driving families. More than 140 new charging stations were added across expressway service areas, making it easier for electric vehicle owners to travel long distances.
These efforts reflect China’s ongoing commitment to improving the efficiency and capacity of its transportation network, ensuring that millions of travelers could enjoy a smooth experience despite the holiday rush.
A Modern Transportation Network to Handle the Load
One of the key reasons for the success of the holiday travel rush in China was the country’s increasingly integrated transportation network. The improved connectivity between cities, provinces, and tourist destinations has made it easier for people to travel across the country, especially during peak seasons.
New infrastructure developments also played a crucial role in reducing travel times and easing congestion. For example:
- A newly opened high-speed railway between Shenyang and Baishan reduced the travel time to the popular Changbai Mountain from three hours to less than two.
- In Hunan, two major expressways—Sanglong and Luci—opened in late September, improving access to key tourist spots in both Hunan and Hubei provinces.
These investments in transportation infrastructure are a testament to the government’s long-term vision to support both tourism and the growing needs of the population.
Growth in Civil Aviation and Cross-Border Travel
As expected, civil aviation saw a strong rise in passenger numbers during the holiday travel rush in China. With the demand for air travel increasing, airlines worked to accommodate more passengers by increasing flight capacity. For instance, China Southern Airlines resumed its Beijing Daxing-Tehran flights and added new routes, like the Beijing Daxing-Doha service.
Cross-border travel also surged, thanks to China’s improved visa policies and more available international flights. The National Immigration Administration reported that more than 2 million daily border crossings took place during the holidays, with peaks on October 1 and October 6. This increase in cross-regional travel reflects the growing demand for international tourism as well as the easing of travel restrictions.
Looking Forward to Future Travel Peaks
The holiday travel rush in China this year was a significant milestone, not only for the volume of passengers but also for how smoothly the country managed the massive influx of travelers. With the government’s continued investments in transportation infrastructure and a focus on expanding and modernizing railways, highways, and airports, it’s clear that China is prepared for even larger travel surges in the years ahead.
In conclusion, the holiday travel rush in China was a major success story. Thanks to improved railways in China, efficient air travel, expanded highway infrastructure, and a focus on sustainability with electric vehicle support, millions of travelers were able to move seamlessly across the country. The record-breaking numbers this year are only a glimpse of what’s to come as China continues to grow and develop its transportation systems to meet the demands of an ever-growing population.
