Chinese civil aviation is expected to handle about 133 million passenger trips during the ongoing summer travel rush, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on Friday.
From July 1 to Aug. 31, the summer holiday period when students are off school nationwide, travel demand significantly increases.
Average daily air passenger trips are expected to hit 2.15 million, representing an increase of 10 percent over the same period in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The figure also marks a moderate growth of 5 percent from the same period last year, according to the CAAC.
Xu Qing, deputy director of the administration's transportation division, noted that routes are increasingly connecting the country's major urban clusters.
"Looking at the popular air routes, the domestic civil aviation passenger sources are still concentrated on the routes in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone," Xu said.
"Booking data for domestic flights show that the top five destination cities are Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Kunming," added the official.
China anticipates robust air travel demand during summer holiday season
More Taiwan compatriots are welcomed to visit filming locations and landmarks featured in popular mainland movies and TV dramas, where they can experience not only the natural beauty but also the shared cultural bond between people across the Strait, said Zhu Fenglian, spokeswoman of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
The recent mainland blockbusters, such as "Ne Zha 2," along with various high-quality TV dramas, have been drawing attention and gaining increasing popularity among audience in Taiwan.
These productions have led more Taiwan people to visit the mainland, exploring filming locations and settings, immersing themselves in the cinematic culture.
Zhu explained that this trend reflects the cultural similarities and shared identity between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. She also encouraged more Taiwan compatriots who enjoy mainland productions to visit these sites showcased in films and TV shows.
"Relevant media platforms launched the 'Travel Mainland with Films' campaign, while Fuzhou and Xiamen recently rolled out initiatives offering Taiwan compatriots free tickets to watch the film 'Ne Zha: The Devil Boy Churns the Sea' via the 'Mini Three Links' routes to coastal Fujian. These efforts have been warmly welcomed and enthusiastically embraced by people in Taiwan. This reflects the strong appeal of mainland's exceptional film and television culture, along with the charm of Chinese culture conveyed through these productions. It also highlights the deep cultural bonds shared between people on both sides of the Strait," said Zhu.
"We welcome more Taiwan compatriots to visit the mainland and explore the settings or filming locations of their favorite mainland movies and TV shows. Whether it's natural landscape or a pastoral site, each destination will offer friends from Taiwan a unique experience, allowing them to discover a 'different mainland'," said Zhu.
Taiwan compatriots welcomed for film-inspired journey on mainland: spokeswoman
