Get ready for the world's biggest travel party! 🎉 China has officially kicked off its annual Spring Festival travel rush, and it's going to be epic. With a mind-blowing 9 billion trips expected, this could be the largest human migration on the planet! 🌏
Starting from today and lasting until March 5, millions of people across China are hitting the road, rails, and skies to reunite with their families for the Lunar New Year, which falls on February 10 this year. 🧧✨
The numbers are staggering—China's railway operator expects to handle 480 million passengers during this period. That's like moving the entire population of Latin America more than seven times over! 😲🚂 An average of 12 million train trips will happen daily, with 10.6 million trips taking place just today.
And it's not just the trains that are busy. The skies are buzzing too! ✈️ The civil aviation sector plans to transport 2 million people today alone, with 17,500 flights taking off. Top airports like Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, and Beijing Capital International Airport are bracing for record traffic.
But here's the real kicker: Of the estimated 9 billion trips, a whopping 7.2 billion will be made by self-driving! 🚗💨 That's 80% of all journeys. The remaining 1.8 billion trips will be by railways, highways, waterways, and civil aviation.
This 40-day travel frenzy, known as \"chunyun\" (春运), is all about celebrating family and tradition. It's like a nationwide reunion where everyone—from big cities to small villages—comes together to welcome the new year. 🏮👨👩👧👦
This year's Lunar New Year holiday runs from February 10 to 17, which is one day longer than usual. That means even more time for festivities but also extra pressure on the transport system as everyone rushes to be with their loved ones. ❤️
So, if you're planning to travel in China during this time, buckle up for an incredible experience! And for the rest of us, let's marvel at this awe-inspiring movement of people and the joy that comes with reuniting with family. 🎊
Reference(s):
China kicks off Spring Festival travel rush with 9 bln trips expected
cgtn.com
