BEIJING (AP) — China’s Lunar New Year travel rush has shifted into high gear, with billions of trips expected in the coming days for the peak of the annual 40-day mass migration – the largest movement annual of humanity in the world.
The real New Year’s holiday, which marks the start of the Year of the Snake in the 12-month lunar calendar, falls on Wednesday, while New Year’s Eve on Tuesday is reserved for family gatherings and traditionally bonfires. artifice.
Many started traveling on January 14 and the rush will peak over the weekend. A total of 9 billion trips – mostly by car – are expected during the 40-day peak travel period.
Train trips will exceed 510 million, and another 90 million by air. The government did not say how the travel figures compared to any other 40-day period during the year.
Travel is now much more comfortable than in the past, when travelers often crowded into train carriages for journeys that could last several days – if they were lucky enough to purchase a ticket, which is now mostly sold online .
Traditionally, the festival is a time for families to come together, with members of China’s huge migrant worker population devoting their entire holiday time to the annual visit which, for many, offers the only chance to see parents and children.
Growing prosperity and the decline of family customs in recent years have prompted those who can afford to travel abroad, mainly to Southeast Asia, but also to Japan and South Korea. Cross-border travel is expected to increase by almost 10%, including foreign tourists willing to risk the crowds to see the spectacle.
The government grants eight public holidays, from January 28 to February 4. While fireworks have been virtually eradicated under President Xi Jinping, traditional events such as temple markets draped in auspicious bright red colors continue to attract millions of visitors.
