Millions on the move for Lunar New Year
BEIJING — Millions of people boarded trains, planes and automobiles in China on Wednesday as the Lunar New Year travel rush, the world’s largest seasonal human migration, reached its climax.
China’s most important festival falls on Friday, and people were returning to their hometowns or flocking to vacation destinations. For many migrant workers in the country’s industrialized east, the holiday may be the only time of year they go home to see family and friends.
Weeks before the rush, many travellers had used smartphone apps to snatch up tickets that sold out. Some train journeys between cities and rural areas last more than 20 hours, with passengers crowded into cabins that are standing room-only.
The state railway operator said 98.8 million people rode trains countrywide during the first 12 days of February. China’s official Xinhua news agency said more than 1.1 million were expected to pass through railway stations in Beijing on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Increasing numbers of Chinese have travelled abroad in recent years, reflecting rising prosperity among the urban middle class. More than 6.5 million are expected to head overseas this year, according to a joint report by travel agency Ctrip and the China Tourism Academy.
Travellers have booked trips to more than 68 nations and regions, the report said, with Thailand, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Nordic countries among the top destinations.
On average, Chinese tourists spend about 9,500 yuan (about $1,900 Cdn) on a Lunar New Year trip, the report said.
Domestic travel is also popular. China’s National Tourism Administration predicted this month that this year’s holiday period will bring in 476 billion yuan in tourism revenue.