BEIJING — On April 4, 2025, China’s railway system reported a record of 20.09 million passenger trips in a single day, coinciding with the celebratory Qingming Festival and the start of a three-day national holiday.

The volume of travel reflects a year-on-year increase of 8.4 percent, highlighting robust demand within the country's rail transport system.

In response to this surge, the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. announced plans for an additional 622 scheduled passenger trains to handle an anticipated 13.55 million trips on April 5. As part of efforts to enhance travel experiences, specialized flower-viewing train services have been introduced on the Xi'an-Chengdu high-speed railway, catering to travelers visiting scenic areas, including Han Zhong, Cheng Gu, and Yang Xian.

The three-day Qingming holiday, which has deep cultural significance as a time for honoring ancestors, saw significant spikes in travel-related activities nationwide as people engaged in springtime outings.

According to official estimates, about 84.5 million railway passenger trips are projected to occur between April 3 and April 7, averaging 16.9 million trips daily.

On April 6, the last day of the holiday, the national railway network is expected to manage a peak of 20 million passenger trips as individuals return to their cities after the holiday celebrations.

This period also experienced a considerable uptick in domestic travel, with expressway traffic estimated at approximately 59 million vehicles on certain days, marking a 1.1 percent increase from the previous year.

Notably, around 18 percent of the total traffic consisted of new energy vehicles, indicating a growing trend towards more eco-conscious travel options.

Online travel platforms noted a significant increase in bookings for short-distance trips, surging by 136 percent week-on-week, with popular activities such as flower viewing and mountain climbing seeing substantial growth.

The Huangshan Scenic Area recorded 233,100 visitors on the first day of the holiday, representing a 54.04 percent increase year-on-year.

Data from a Suzhou-based travel agency indicated a resurgence in interest towards traditional Qingming customs, with a 75 percent year-on-year rise in searches related to cultural and folk experiences.

Major cities, including Beijing, Nanjing, Xi'an, Chongqing, and Suzhou, emerged as primary destinations for those interested in China's historical and cultural heritage.

In terms of cross-border travel, figures from the first quarter of 2025 showed a significant uptick, with various ports reporting increased numbers of inbound and outbound passenger trips following updated visa policies aimed at enhancing global mobility.

For example, travel to and from Xi'an reached 460,000 trips, reflecting a 77 percent increase compared to the previous year.

As China continues to promote open travel and cultural exchange, the coming months are expected to witness sustained growth in domestic and international tourism, bolstered by pro-active measures from the government aimed at revitalizing the tourism sector.