By Micah Jonah, February 2, 2026
China’s annual Spring Festival travel rush has officially begun, marking the start of a 40 day period widely regarded as the world’s largest annual movement of people, as millions travel ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
The Lunar New Year, which ushers in the Year of the Horse, will be observed on February 17. Authorities have declared a nine day public holiday from February 15 to 23, one day longer than last year, raising expectations of increased travel and consumer activity.
The travel rush began on Monday across major transport hubs, with airports and railway stations witnessing heightened activity. In Guangzhou, performances were held at Baiyun International Airport to mark the start of the peak travel season.
Chinese authorities estimate that about 9.5 billion passenger trips will be made during the Spring Festival travel period, surpassing last year’s figure of just over 9 billion journeys.
Despite expectations that the longer holiday could encourage higher spending on travel, food and leisure, many travellers remain cautious amid economic uncertainty, weaker growth momentum and a prolonged property market downturn.
Major travel booking platforms reported that domestic flight bookings for the 2026 holiday period have already exceeded last year’s levels. Southeast Asian destinations are among the most popular choices for outbound travel, while several culturally significant towns within China have also emerged as favoured domestic destinations.
The Spring Festival travel rush will continue through mid March, placing sustained pressure on China’s transport networks during the peak holiday season.
