The World’s Largest Mass Migration Begins in China”
On the first day of the Spring Festival travel season, which marks the celebration of the Lunar New Year in China, 189 million trips were recorded across the country.
According to a special task force formed by the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Public Security, and China State Railway Group, the number of trips increased by 19.7% compared to the first day of last year’s travel season.
On the first day alone, a total of 189 million trips were made, with:
- Rail travel increasing by 78% compared to last year,
- Road travel rising by 16.6%,
- Water and sea transport increasing by 48.6%,
- Air travel witnessing a 111.6% surge.
9 Billion Trips Expected in 40 Days
The Ministry of Transport had previously projected that 9 billion trips would be made during the 40-day holiday period from January 26 to March 5, 2024.
It was estimated that around 80% of trips would be made using private vehicles, while 1.8 billion trips were expected to be taken via road, air, river, and sea transport.
The Largest Human Migration
In Chinese tradition, the Spring Festival is a homecoming ritual where millions of people travel back to their hometowns to reunite with their families. The 40-day travel rush includes 15 days before and 25 days after the Lunar New Year.
This travel phenomenon, known as “Chunyun”, is recognized as “the world’s largest mass migration.
