Over 1.4 billion passengers expected in the first week of China’s New Year travel season

With the celebration of China’s 2026 New Year, more than 1.413 billion intercity trips are expected across the country in the first week of peak passenger traffic, according to China’s Ministry of Transport.

The ministry estimates that over 200 million passengers will travel daily between provinces, about 2% higher than the same period last year.

China’s New Year in 2026 falls on February 17. The official public holiday lasts nine days, while the peak travel period, traditionally called “Chunyun,” extends until March 13.

During this period, millions of citizens working, studying, or living away from their hometowns travel home to celebrate the country’s most important holiday with their families.

Passenger flow on rail transport has already increased. On Sunday, around 13.25 million passengers were expected nationwide, and an additional 1,688 passenger trains were scheduled to meet rising demand.

Overall, private car travel dominates. Since the start of the peak period, traffic has increased by 2.1% compared to the same time last year.

Significant growth is also observed in civil aviation. On Sunday, Chinese airlines are expected to carry around 2.39 million passengers on 19,614 flights, 7.5% higher than the annual average.