China saw a surge in domestic trips on Friday, the 18th day of the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, as most Chinese people continue to flock to tourist attractions or visit kins during the traditional festival.
Railway networks nationwide are expected to handle around 11.8 million passenger trips on Friday, with an additional 545 trains scheduled to accommodate the growing demand.
As of Thursday, the total number of passenger trips made by train had surpassed 200 million during the Spring Festival travel rush, the world's largest annual human migration surrounding the Chinese New Year, which began on Jan. 14 this year.
On Friday morning, the China Railway Chengdu Group launched the first "panda-themed special train" of the Year of the Snake. Starting from Chengdu, the home of giant pandas, the train was headed for "space city" Xichang, passing through multiple scenic spots along the route. Apart from panda-inspired decorations, the train also features cultural heritage experiences, with skilled craftsmen on board to showcase Yi ethnic hand-painted lacquer art, paper cutting, and other traditional crafts to passengers.
In Jiangxi Province, the China Railway Nanchang Group introduced seven tour packages offering an all-inclusive and customizable journey to popular destinations such as Ganzhou, Xiamen, and Wuyishan. With just one ticket, travelers can enjoy a flexible itinerary, traveling freely on multiple trains within a nine-day period.
On the roads, the country's expressways are estimated to see a daily average of 56 million vehicles during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday. Self-driving trips for family visits and tourism continue to dominate, with tourism-related travel showing a significant increase compared to previous years, according to the Ministry of Transport.
With a new round of rain and snow looming, travel disruptions are possible in areas of northwest and northeast China. Travelers are advised to check the weather before departing, and be cautious during adverse weather conditions to prevent traffic accidents.
In the air, an estimated 18,200 flights are expected Friday. During the first 17 days of the Spring Festival travel rush, daily passenger numbers for civil aviation reached 2.23 million, representing a 7.29 percent increase compared to last year.
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China saw surge in domestic trips as Spring Festival tours heat up